The Crow
by PoisonAngelMuse
Summary: Bratva Captain Oliver Queen has been looking for revenge his entire life. When he can't trust his own family, the Bratva to get it, he finds the answer to all of his problems in Felicity Smoak;a genius hacker who is running for her life from the same object of Oliver's hatred. With an unlikely partnership,The Crow might just find out that light can shine in the darkest place. HEA.
1. The Crow

**The Crow Chapter 1 – The Crow**

**Disclaimer: **We own nothing but our plot and our own characters. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to DC Comics and CW Television. All rights over this idea and its concepts belong to us. This work is intended for the private enjoyment of the reader and is not to be shared on any other sites (besides AO3 and FF) or events without our express permission.

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**Summary:** Bratva Captain Oliver Queen has been looking for revenge his entire life. When he can't trust his own family, the Bratva to get it, he finds the answer to all of his problems in Felicity Smoak; a genius hacker who is running for her life from the same object of Oliver's hatred, The Triad. With an unlikely partnership, The Crow might just find out that light can shine in the darkest of places. #BratvaOliver #Olicity #Smut #Violence #PossessiveOliver #RussianMob #AU #HEA

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**A/N: And we are back!**

**We are so excited to start this new journey with you guys!**

**The Crow will be very different from our previous work – darker and moodier – filled with angst, action, romance and smut! Be prepared! We hope you will all enjoy it!**

**We'd like to dedicate this chapter to a special boy close to our hearts who lost someone special at a young age as well. His lose inspired the use of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, which we do not own and are using for creative purposes.**

**Also I wanted to give you all a heads up! To keep the story truthful, Oliver would speak fluent Russian in many scenes, but as neither one of us speak Russian, all the lines that are in Italics are to be considered spoken in Russian, even though they are written in English. I think it's easier, and we don't have to try to use Google translate or anything like that. Ok?**

**As always, the link for the Polyvore sets are on PoisonAngelMuse profile page.**

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**Music – The Crow by Hurts**

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_Her frozen hand  
Takes your breath away  
As she leads your soul  
Through the dark  
You know that she came  
To break your heart  
But oh when she moves  
You fall in love again_

_And she spreads her wings when she's gonna fly, the crow  
If you make her sing when she's coming she will let you know_

_She spreads her wings and they black out the sun  
You won't her sing and she'll leave when the damage is done_

_Cold heart, warm gun, a dying soul  
Bright eyes, black soul, she'll never let you go_

_And she spreads her wings when she's gonna fly, the crow…  
If you make her sing when she's coming she will let you know_

_She spreads her wings and they black out the sun  
You won't her sing and she'll leave when the damage is done_

Oliver Queen stood in his walk-in closet, his calloused fingers moving through a large selection of ties laid out in his dresser drawer. His hand stopped over a dark grey stripped one that matched his suit perfectly. He let the silk tie rest against the top of the dresser as he pulled on his white dress shirt; the cut looking perfect over his strong back, adorned with well cut muscles, tattoos and endless scars. They told a very different story about Oliver Queen. They were proof that he was much more than a billionaire, CEO of Queen Consolidated, playboy and philanthropist. They told the story about The Crow.

Some could say that a bad start in life was what brought Oliver to the path that he was on today. Broken homes and broken families. Lost souls and empty hearts. But it was nothing like that. Oliver had a very happy childhood, a wonderful family and only happy memories of them. He had a regular life as a child, as normal as it could be. He went to school, did his homework, went to bed when his parents told him to, fought with his little sister Thea from time to time and would get into all kinds of trouble that a ten year old only could. He was a happy kid, Robert and Moira Queen made sure of that.

He was born into a wealthy life, a life that brought many privileges and that as a child he never questioned. His father was the founder and CEO of Queen Consolidated, a Fortune 500 company that dealt with a wide array of aspects dealing with industrial manufacturing. They had accounts, factories, and clients all over the world, and with the passing of the years, the family's fortune only grew.

As a child, Oliver would meet countless business associates of his fathers' at parties, galas and functions that he attended with his parents. And yet, out of all these business associates there was only one person whom his father considered a family friend: Anatoly Knyazev.

Anatoly Knyazev was a Russian businessman that worked in the gun-manufacturing sector. He and Oliver's father had met in the early eighties, right after the Soviet Union had fallen apart. They had formed a business partnership that was beneficial for both of them, and as time passed they became great friends. Anatoly would come visit the Queen's at least once a year, always bringing gifts with him, spoiling Oliver and Thea tremendously. As he didn't have any of his own children, he treated the young Queen siblings as his own, loving and caring for them. Anatoly was like an uncle to Oliver, someone that he trusted and cherished. And it was always Oliver's favorite time of the year when his 'Uncle Toly' would come to stay with them for two weeks before going back to Russia. The partnership between Anatoly and Robert Queen worked for almost twenty years.

It all changed with Robert Queen's death.

At the time of the 'accident', as the media portrayed it, Oliver didn't understand what had happened to him and his family. One moment they were driving in his fathers Mercedes, going to have dinner at Thea's favorite Italian restaurant – his father and mother catching up on their day and Thea and himself playing in the back – and in the next moment everything was spinning. Their car was hit, sending them whirling, glass and metal cutting and twisting around them. He could still hear Thea's pained screams and cries. His mother's pleading tears. His father's desperate hands scrambling to free himself and the feel of blood on Oliver's skin. He remembered shaking, trying to breathe through the growing panic and pain in his chest because he was so scared; terrified to the point where he couldn't even move. It hadn't been an accident – they had been pushed off the road by a large SUV. As if that wasn't enough, them being disoriented and stuck in the wreckage, someone opened fire upon them.

Thea was the first one to die; a single gunshot in the chest, making the world a bit less brighter at the lose of her happy and bright six year old nature. His mother was next; the gunshots went through her as if she was made of paper, the red copper of her blood staining her creamy silk blouse and the dash in front of her. His father was the last one, his wounds making it impossible for him to fight back or struggle before a shot to the head finished him off. The small pop of the shot and his father's head falling to the side where the last things that Oliver heard or saw before his world turned black.

Later he would learn that he had been shot twice, once in the back when he had reached out for his father and once in the chest, the bullet almost hitting his heart. When they had eventually found them and took him to the hospital he had been carted away to the ICU unit where he had flat lined twice. Yet life didn't seem to want him to join his family and Oliver Queen survived. He spent two weeks in a drug-induced haze where he didn't know what was happening or where his family was.

When he finally woke up with a clear head, the room was filled with strangers and attorneys discussing matters that they thought he wouldn't understand. He heard words like 'sole heir' and 'worth billions' float by him and he understood. Oliver Queen was now the sole survivor of the Queen family, and as such the heir of billions of dollars. But none of that mattered when he came upon the startling conclusion that he was now completely alone in the world. His mom, his dad, his little sister…gone. None of the attorneys noticed when Oliver's breathing hitched and tears began to stream down his face; the ten year old feeling as if his small world were collapsing inward and being replaced by the pain and agony of knowing that his entire family was gone, and that there was nothing he could do about it. He didn't know how long he lay there trying to comprehend what was going on. Just as his tears were turning into sobs, he felt a warm comforting hand grip his shoulder. He looked up and for the first time since he'd awoken, Oliver felt hope.

'_Uncle Toly,' Oliver sobbed, as he wrapped his arms around the older man._

'_Ollie,' Anatoly whispered sadly as he held Oliver in his arms. ' Are you ok?' the older man asked, his Russian accent strong and familiar, bringing comfort to Oliver in his most painful moment._

'_They're all gone. They're gone. How can they all be gone? I…I don't understand. There was so much blood,' Oliver sobbed, his tears soaking Anatoly's suit as his mind began to flash back to the last moments in the car. 'I'm alone. I have no one. I want my mom! I want Thea! I want my dad!' Oliver cried out as Anatoly tried his best to comfort the young broken boy._

'_That is not true Ollie. You are not alone. You have me, my boy. You will always have me,' Anatoly reassured Oliver as he ran his hand over Oliver's head, rocking the fragile boy's body in a calming motion, 'You've got me.'_

'_I do?' Oliver asked as he pulled back slightly to peer up at Anatoly with the innocence and hope that only a child would possess, his eyes still filled with tears._

'_I promised your father that I would always take care of you. And that is what I am going to do. I promise you Oliver, I will always be here for you. We are going to be each other's family, ok?' Anatoly said, softly wiping away Oliver's tears with his large hands._

'_Ok, Uncle Toly,' Oliver whispered, softly nodding as he rested his head against the older mans chest. His arms tightened around the man and he tried to focus on Uncle Toly's hand running soothingly over his head; pushing all the bad thoughts away. He couldn't understand what was happening but with his uncle maybe he wasn't all alone like he thought._

'_I will protect you with my life, Oliver,' Anatoly promised as he kissed Oliver's blonde hair, a sea of tears pooling in his green eyes, 'It will be alright.'_

* * *

Anatoly's idea of protecting Oliver was to take the little boy with him to Russia, thousands of miles away from the place he used to call home and all the memories it held.

Anatoly and his older sister Raisa raised Oliver in Moscow. Raisa had her own children, that were adults, and Oliver's presence brought a new sense of meaning to her life. Oliver fell instantly in love with the older Russian woman, her warm and gentle nature coming through even though they had some communication problems at first. Oliver learned to love her like a mother with every all encompassing hug, heartfelt meal and soothing bedtime story to fight off his nightmares. And while Raisa helped Oliver by giving him the maternal figure that he needed, Anatoly supplied him with the stern father figure. While not as vibrant and involved with his son's life as Robert was, he was very involved with Oliver's development in Russia. He made sure that he taught Oliver Russian, that he knew about the life and history of Russia through rigorous home schooling and how to survive on his own with a strong set of morals that Anatoly hoped would guide him into adulthood. With them, Oliver finally felt safe again and the three of them became Oliver's small family.

Back in the United States, the 'accident' that killed the most powerful man in Starling City, was a media circus. While Oliver worked to get past the grief of the lose of his family and rebuild in Russia, months later the tragedy was still used to sell all sorts of magazines and newspapers. Anatoly protected Oliver from the aggressive media from Starling City, which was made much easier since Moscow was on the other side of the world and Anatoly lived on an isolated estate where Oliver's companions were his guards, Raisa, and his Uncle Toly.

Another thing that Oliver had no clue about while in Russia was the status of his families company. Queen Consolidated had been set in the care of Robert Queen's old friend and CFO, Walter Steele. The British man would act as the active CEO until Oliver became of age and stepped up as CEO. He made sure that the Queen's family heritage would be taken care of and that the Queen family lawyers secured Oliver's trust fund until he turned 21 years old.

When Anatoly finally sat him down and told him about his families legacy being secured until he could take the reins he was happy to a certain extent. To a ten-year-old Oliver, the dynamics of billion dollar transactions and all its complexities was the last thing he wanted to hear about and to a certain degree he didn't care. To Oliver, all that he mattered and that was important to him, was that Anatoly would take care of him like he promised. And for years that was enough for Oliver.

Until it wasn't anymore.

* * *

It took Oliver a while to fully understand what his father and Uncle Toly did for a living. Not that QC wasn't a real company, it was. It had more than twenty thousand employees all over the world to prove it. But it was so much more than that.

The first time Oliver heard about 'money laundering' it was on the news a few months before his family was killed. At the time he thought it was boring as most things that he saw on the news and went back to his G.I. Joes while his mom and dad exchanged heated glares at one another over something or the other and Thea colored.

It was a while before he heard it again, not because it wasn't a common occurrence in Russia, because it was, but because he didn't understand Russian enough at the time. Being a quick learner he breezed through a lot of his lessons with Anatoly and by the age of 13 he knew enough to understand and hold a full conversation. One day as he was walking the halls of his 'new' home he happened upon a conversation he shouldn't have heard. He listened to Anatoly and one of his business associates, Sergei, heavily discussing something that was clear as day and cleared a lot of things for Oliver: Queen Consolidated was a front for money laundering for the Solntsevskaya Bratva.

Oliver had been shocked at first. He'd known about the Bratva from a distance, thinking of it as a distant danger that existed somewhere beyond the walls of his home in a secluded space he'd never see. The Bratva was the biggest and most powerful crime syndicate of the Russian mafia. The group had been taking charge of all Russian criminal activities since the late eighties and even though it was an extremely violent organization; it still lived by a code and the trust of its brotherhood.

After that incident he made it his personal mission to see if he could catch his Uncle Toly talking; trying to piece together what the heck was going on and what it had to do with his Uncle. He found out that Anatoly Knyazev, one of his father's best friends, the man that had raised him after his entire family was murdered, the man that used to stay with him the entire night when Raisa's stories wouldn't chase his nightmares away and Oliver was too scared to fall asleep, the closest thing he had to a father…was the leader of Bratva.

During this particular listening/stalking session the door he'd been leaning on opened up and he was caught.

"_Oliver_!" Anatoly said, his tone filled with frustration and something else, something that Oliver couldn't exactly pin point. He did understand one thing though…the older man wasn't happy with him.

"_Uncle Toly_," Oliver said, his breathing coming quick and his eyes slightly scared as he was caught listening in on things he shouldn't have been.

"_You should be in bed already_," Anatoly stated, rubbing his hand against his dark beard, as Oliver visibly gulped, "_You know the rules, Oliver_."

"Yes, uncle," Oliver said quickly, his eyes moving down in shame. He'd wanted to listen in and learn more but he didn't want to get caught. Neither did he want to make his uncle angry with him.

Anatoly and Sergei exchanged a long glance, and a silent conversation happened between the two Russians. With a nod of his head, Sergei stood up and exited the room, disappearing from sight. Anatoly took a deep breath and put a hand on Oliver's shoulder. He gave it a small squeeze as his eyes flickered over Oliver's face.

"_Come, Oliver. It's time_," Anatoly muttered, the words tasting like ashes in his mouth. He always thought he would have more time; that Oliver would be able to keep some of his innocence. He was wrong.

"_Time for what_?" Oliver asked, his voice low and questioning. He didn't know what was going on or if he was in trouble; that much was clear.

Anatoly gave Oliver's shoulder another gentle squeeze as he coaxed him to turn and walk to the door. He knew that the boy that Oliver Queen was, would be gone after today. But he didn't have any other choice. It was the only option to keep him safe because he probably knew too much already. It was better to bring the boy in than letting him run around without a true understanding of what was happening in their lives.

Oliver let Anatoly guide him.

"_Time for you to learn the truth. It's what you were hoping for, wasn't it_?" Anatoly asked as Oliver gulped nervously, not sure what to say to his uncle, "_You are a man now, Oliver. It's time for you to learn the family business. Let's go_."

They walked side by side in the stone mansion that they lived in, through a long corridor and into Anatoly's office. He pushed a bookcase to the side and opened up a hidden door. Oliver took everything in as they walked down three flights of stairs he'd never known about. It became darker and colder the further they went down. The air was humid, and Oliver knew they must have been in a very deep and well-hidden basement. They were in a part of the house that Oliver had never been before that day.

They passed by a couple doors before entering a dark room filled with men that Oliver knew worked with his uncle. He had seen them quite often, walking around the house, guarding the front gate and grounds. He even saw some that were on what Anatoly liked to call his 'protection detail.' They all had a dark look on their faces, like all light had disappeared from their eyes, and flushed cheeks as if they'd rushed down to the room. They were all armed, stocky and deferred to Anatoly when he entered the room with a nod of their end. Oliver realized that this was it. This was Bratva.

He felt like their grim expressions were because of him.

They stepped further into the room and stopped in front of what looked like a jail cell with stonewalls and floors. It was made of iron bars and had a bed made of used newspaper in a corner. When he peered inside he caught movement. Curiosity won him over and he stepped closer to the bars. Inside there was a man, dirty, bloody and beaten to a pulp. He had cuts and bruises all over his body, and one of his eyes was swollen shut. The man tried to speak, but he couldn't form any words. Oliver felt fear grip him tight as he realized that his tongue had been cut off. He stood frozen, looking down at the bloody man, not able to fully absorb that the man that he considered a father, probably was responsible for the state of this broken man.

Anatoly, realizing Oliver's clear fear and shock, decided that it was time for the young boy to know the ways of the brotherhood.

"_You see this man_?" Anatoly asked, looking at the pleading man on the other side of the iron bars.

"_Yes_," Oliver whispered, his body shaking. He couldn't believe that this was going on beneath his feet while he slept, ate, and ran the halls upstairs.

"_This man put our family in danger, Oliver. He was selfish, and he chose himself over the brotherhood. He is a rat_," Anatoly accused, pointing at the man. The man seemed to shake even harder, now falling down on his knees, "_And I told you, I will always do whatever it takes to protect this family_."

Before Oliver could even think of a reply and before he could ask what the heck was going on, Anatoly took a gun from inside his heavy winter coat and quickly shot the man in the head.

The man's body fell over with a thump, blood spraying against the wall behind him. Oliver gasped, voice stuck in his throat, fear and desperation now filling his body. He was terrified. How could his uncle kill a man in cold blood just like that? What was going on?

Anatoly put the gun back inside his coat like it was no big deal that he had just killed a man, and not only that, but also in front of the closest thing he had to a son. Oliver felt like he couldn't breathe as tears of frustration, confusion and shock started to pool in his eyes. He just couldn't understand why this was happening. The Bratva was a distant concept that didn't happen to people like him. It couldn't be actually here in his home and in his life.

"_That is how we deal with traitors in this brotherhood_," Anatoly clearly said, his voice cold and detached, as he looked around the room. All eyes were on Anatoly and him. If possible, Oliver became even more afraid; the kind of fear that freezes your emotions and puts a pause on everything. If it truly was the Bratva then this was a crucial moment for his uncle and Oliver. The brotherhood did not take kindly to the weak, and Oliver was going to be Anatoly's heir, somehow he knew that. In this moment he had to show that he was a man. That is what his uncle meant by it being his time. He had to be a man to be one of them…to survive.

"_Do you understand that, Oliver_?" his uncle said, tone leaving no room for Oliver to doubt or question what he meant even though his words had been presented as a question.

Oliver steeled himself and looked up at the man that had watched him, taken care of him for the past couple of years; the man he now associated as a father. He didn't see his uncle at that moment. He saw a stranger. A stranger who was telling him to choose if he wanted to join this brotherhood he never even knew he was destined for.

"_Yes, uncle_," Oliver said, holding back a sob. He had to say yes.

"_Yes, what_?" Anatoly said, his voice harsh; further proof that things weren't what Oliver believed them to be or thought anymore.

Oliver pulled his eyes from the man's slumped body and focused in on his uncle. He felt wound up, shaky but most of all horrified, at the turn his eavesdropping had taken. "_Yes, sir_," Oliver corrected, holding back the tears that wanted to pool in his eyes as he tried not to picture the dirty cell right next to him, blood painted on its walls.

"_Good_," Anatoly said proudly, patting Oliver on the back as all the other man watched and nodded in acceptance. Oliver had passed the test…but he felt something break inside of him as if he'd lost something in the last ten minutes; a part of whom he was, "_Welcome to the brotherhood, Oliver_."

That night, Oliver realized that the first piece of his soul died with that stranger, on that cold, dirty stone jail. That night he was longer the boy know as Oliver Queen. That night he was Bratva.

Never again, did he call Anatoly 'Uncle Toly'.

* * *

After that night Oliver's life changed completely.

Anatoly now treated Oliver more like an official member of Bratva than part of his own family. Oliver's time was now filled with schedules, meeting and tasks to complete. And as each day passed, he lost more and more of the young boy that he once was. Long gone were the hours spent chatting with Anatoly over the newest thing he'd learned. Long gone were the hours spent baking and laughing with Raisa. Long gone were the endless hours riding his bike or playing video games. Long gone were the days of daydreaming of what he'd do when he got older. Those days were now replaced with self-defense classes, Bratva structure and on how to use a gun. The kid in him was long gone. He was now treated as a man.

After his introduction to Bratva the biggest change in his life, besides how he was now treated, was his education.

He was enrolled in a private school for 'all Bratva sons'. Anatoly liked to say that it was for Oliver's security and for his own benefit, but he knew that it was just another excuse for him to not know anything outside the world of Bratva. So he had moved from homeschooling to a private school where the teachers were part Bratva, where the students would soon be part of Bratva and where all that everyone was concerned about was Bratva. He took normal courses such as Mathematics and Classic Russian Literature, but he also learned special things such as how to work with explosives and how to create and maintain a fake identity with fake passports, fake birth certificates and even fake credit cards. It was an education that honestly was the furthest from what he would have learned in an American high school environment.

In the beginning he had thought of distancing himself from what it meant to be Bratva. Try to deny it, fail his classes, not try learn their ways. But then he would think about that man in that cell under his home. If Anatoly did that without an inch of remorse in front of Oliver, then he didn't know what he'd do to Oliver if he refused this great honor. To top it off Oliver learned that the Bratva were more than a brotherhood of murders and thieves. They were a brotherhood that expected for high-ranking children as him to take over the reins of responsibility when their parents/guardians passed away or couldn't handle the burden. That is why the Bratva School was so important.

He and his colleagues were the ones that were expected to rule the brotherhood one day. But being the godson of the Bratva leader didn't make Oliver's life any easier; in fact, it only seemed to make things worse. Bullying came from unending sources, and it was considered something usual, a way to 'strengthen' a young man into defending himself against the everyday dangers that he would experience in Bratva. Oliver was beaten and humiliated by his peers for months. It only took one look from Anatoly, when Oliver told him of his beatings, for him to realize that he was on his own in this. That Anatoly was ok with it and that Oliver had better defend himself and not embarrass Anatoly.

He bit back hard the next time they came after him. But of course, it was nearly impossible to fight back when it was one against ten; the odds not in his favor. It was when he was down on the floor, blood running down his nose and into his mouth, with his hands trying to protect his head the best he could from punches and kicks, that Slade Wilson came into his life.

Slade was two years older than he was, and much taller and stronger, and for some reason he decided to help Oliver out. In a sea of Bratva rivalry he somehow decided that Oliver was worth helping.

Slade beat down three of the teens that were thrashing Oliver, before the others decided to let go and run from the tall and very imposing figure that Slade set. As Oliver lay there, spitting blood from his cut lip and bleeding nose, he wondered why Slade would stop them when no one else had. He wondered what it would cost Oliver for such assistance. But when he asked Slade the answer was simple: Slade had been in Oliver's place not so long ago.

Slade was an Australian whose father had been a part of the brotherhood. His father had been a mercenary that worked along with Bratva for many years until he died protecting Anatoly from a heist. Feeling a debt with the Wilson's, Anatoly took Slade into his inner circle, and the young man was now preparing to officially join Bratva. That however, caused quite a commotion among the students and for a long time Slade had been a victim of numerous attacks. A combination of puberty and learning how to defend himself rather quickly made it so that he gained a reputation in a matter of months. No one messed with Slade Wilson. And if the glare that he sent the scattering students said anything, no one would mess with Oliver as well.

"_You ok there, Kid_?" Slade asked, offering his hand to help Oliver off the floor.

"_I'm fine_," Oliver said, even though his ribs were aching and he could barely see from his swelling right eye. He didn't need Slade to think he was weak too.

"_You don't look fine to me_," Slade said with a small chuckle as the skinny 14-year-old boy tried to get up on his feet.

"_I've had worse_," Oliver ground out, stumbling/walking towards the bathroom sink to wash the blood off his face and check for damage. It wasn't as bad as he expected it to be.

"_So I've heard_," Slade countered, making Oliver cringe. Everyone seemed to know that he was constantly beaten. Everyone seemed to also know that Anatoly's heir wasn't strong enough to defend himself even when he tried. Oliver knew that his uncle wanted him to be able to defend himself, to be strong and independent. He always said how a Bratva Leader needed to be strong, immovable. And as Oliver looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, cataloguing his injuries, he realized he desperately didn't want this anymore. He didn't want to be pushed from all sides and just follow the flow of things. He wanted to be strong and immovable just like his uncle wanted. A force to be reckoned with so no one would hurt him again.

Oliver cleared his face before turning and offering a hand to the imposing and waiting figure behind him, "_I'm Oliver Queen_."

"_Slade Wilson_," he replied, shaking the younger man's hand.

"_So I've heard_," Oliver said, making Slade chuckle again at having his response thrown right back at him. Everyone knew who Slade was.

Slade gave him a once over again and Oliver wanted to cringe. He looked like a mess and he knew it, but he held his ground. "_So, are you ready to stop being beat up by those punks on a daily basis? Ready to stop practically kissing the bathroom floor_?" Slade asked Oliver, and for the first time in a long time, Oliver actually smiled even though it hurt like hell when it split his lip again.

Someone was actually offering to help him. And not just because he was Anatoly's heir or because they wanted something. An unlikely friendship grew between them from that moment on. Slade helped Oliver to become stronger, faster and better than his peers. They ran, trained, lifted weights and spent most of their free time together. With his companionship and teachings, Oliver's grades became to climb and surpass all the others at the school and no one ever messed with him again. They would continue this unlikely relationship for years to come, as Slade was Oliver's only friend in Russia. And without his friend fighting with him, helping him, saving him, he wouldn't become the man Anatoly handed the reins to in the future.

It came to pass that there was only one man that Oliver trusted with his life. And that man was Slade Wilson.

* * *

By the time he was 16, he was stripped of all the nuances of being a youth. He was colder and reserved. He was more calculating and could pick up on even the tiniest fluctuations of a persons nature. He was also more cut off from the world. All that he knew was Bratva and how to survive its challenges and politics. Things had changed ever since he became friends with Slade. He was feared by his peers and not challenged as much as he was when he started in Bratva School. And when he was, he always landed on top.

Anatoly was extremely proud of the progress that he had made in his studies and in the ranks of Bratva. They never gained back the companionship and trust they had when Oliver was a child but they gained something else, the trust of the brotherhood and his position as the next Bratva captain if anything were to happen to Anatoly. He would be lying if he said he didn't miss the times of his youth, the innocence that he once held, but he couldn't get it back. He had to keep on moving forward. Keep on learning to be able to protect himself because no one else was going to do it.

That's what led to where he was now. A bar in one of the Bratva districts.

When he was at school he mainly kept to himself. Slade was his constant companion but he spent some time with others at Bratva School. He didn't like his peers but he understood that he at least needed to pretend to want their friendship to a certain extent as he was going to be the next Bratva captain and loyalty was key. That and fear.

With his new sense of control at school his peers fell into line behind him. And he was able to have some of these close 'peers' as companions when Slade was not available or on a Bratva mission. So when these companions started acting strange he noticed almost immediately. For the past couple weeks they had gone from fearing him and following his lead to being…inviting and personable.

Being as sharp and clever as he was he saw past their less harsh mannerisms, their watching eyes and their invitations to hang out after their classes. He waited for weeks to play whatever card they were holding onto. And it all came to a crescendo when they invited him to go to a known Bratva bar. Invitations like this were not unheard of in Bratva, the youth going out to clubs and bars often. What was unheard of was the next Bratva captain going to a common Bratva bar.

Obviously Oliver had to go when they invited him. There was something going on right under his nose and he was going to figure it out. Even if he had to do it on his own since Slade was off doing Bratva business.

He tells them yes, that he'll accompany them, hiding the fact that he's watching and listening as they head out. He feels it in his bones that something is wrong when Anatoly's guards don't stop them or question them as they left the house or walked the streets. He becomes even more curious and cautious as they enter the Bratva bar. His companions shout with glee as they find a table and order drinks, moving Oliver along with them without touching him. No one touched him.

He settled into the bar with his back to the wall, noting all the patrons and the exits of the bar. For being his first bar it was exactly what he expected; sleek bar top that ran along the entire side of the bar with an array of tables and chairs opposite of it. He noted that the crowd was relatively young, filled with people that looked like they were in their early twenties. His companions ordered them drinks and all the while Oliver kept an eye out. He watched his companions. He watched his drink. He watched the crowd. And he waited.

Twenty minutes into pretending like he was having an 'all right' time, because a future Bratva captain didn't outwardly act jovial and happy, a group of girls came over and joined them. Being sixteen had made it so that with a smile and a simple touch of their hands, he was distracted for only a couple minutes. He was just beginning to talk to a small brunette, when a man approached him. He had looked admittedly nervous, eyes wide and clothes askew, when he approached Oliver.

"_So you're the little punk who did it_!" the man accused in broken Russian, some of his pronunciations slightly off, as his hands shook. He was dressed in a grey suit with small rips on his knees and bruises on the right side of his face.

Oliver glanced back at his companions in question but they all had their eyes on the man in front of them, practiced confusion on their faces. His hands gripped the table and he narrowed his eyes slightly. This is what he was waiting for all day. Placing his hands on the lapels on his jacket he ran his thumb over the inseam that held a hidden blade. He was ready.

When he turned to the man it seemed like he was ready too, a knife already in his hands and his face lit up with anger before yelling, "_It's you! You are the one! Now it's your turn!_"

Oliver felt himself tense as he slowly stood, ignoring the girls and his companions, as his fingers slowly curled over the blades handle. This challenge had come out of nowhere, but was clearly connected to the strange behavior of his companions and the night in general.

Without a second thought to the group of companions behind him watching or the entire bar who had suddenly turned to watch the situation, the man jumped towards Oliver with his knife raised. Oliver grabbed the man's arm just in time and swiveled it behind his back, whipping out his own blade and pressing it up against the man's throat. A threat was on the tip of her tongue when the man slammed his head back into Oliver's and effectively disoriented him. He fumbled backwards into his table as the man came towards him again, eyes crazed. Without a second thought Oliver pivoted to the left, sending the man past him and into the table occupied by his companions. They all jumped up in shock and the girls screamed as their drinks were knocked over them.

The turn of events only seemed to infuriate the man and he came at Oliver again. He lashed out at him, but Oliver stepped to the side again and cleanly avoided the man, sending him crashing into an empty table and overturning it. He squared his shoulders and clenched his jaw as he circled the man.

"_I don't know who you think I am_," he spoke in a flat voice, noting the eyes on him. They were always on him, "_Or what you're trying to achieve. But I am not him and I will not be taken down by a man like you._"

"_I know exactly who you are!_" the man shouted back as he got to his feet, "_And I have to take you down_."

Still gripping his blade in one hand he grabbed a half empty vodka from a table, holding it by its neck. The man's desperate nature and words confused Oliver but not enough to make him stop. He swung the bottle at the man's head when he tried to come at Oliver again. It hit the man's head with a sickening thud but the man didn't go down. He shook his head as if trying to shake the pain off before going after Oliver once more, this time swinging his arm and slicing the air by Oliver's stomach.

On instinct he tucked his belly back and slugged the man with his blade arm. All he remembered was the quick sound of parting flesh and the choked out sound that the man made before he dropped to the ground. He felt like he'd been put back into his body for the first time that night, seeing everything clearly for what it was. The man was clutching at his neck where Oliver had managed to lodge his blade, blood pouring out as if the blade was a spout.

For the first time in years it wasn't Bratva Oliver Queen, future heir and captain, staring down at someone who wanted to hurt him. It wasn't the man who had learned to be cold and calculating because it was necessary for his survival. It wasn't the man who'd promised that he wouldn't be weak again. It was Oliver, the boy who loved reading books with Raisa and who fought nightmares off with his Uncle Toly's hand running comforting fingers through his hair.

It was as if he was in a tunnel, world devoid of sound as he saw the man shake, hands lazily pushing at his neck before simply stopping. He wasn't moving. He was lying there on the ground, his own knife still in hand and eyes open as blood pooled out underneath him.

Oliver couldn't move from his spot. His body ran cold as he realized what he'd just done. He'd killed someone.

One of his companions came out of nowhere and rushed to the man, checking for a pulse. He looked up at Oliver and shook his head. Oliver couldn't help but stare at the pool of blood coming closer to his shoes with every second that passed. The man was dead. Oliver had killed him.

Dropping the bottle he looked down at his hands. They were drops of blood on his hands and forearms, his skin smeared red. He looked up, remembering where he was. Everyone was looking at him. Everyone had stopped moving, stopped drinking as they watched Oliver Queen stand over the body of the man he'd just killed. And no one was scared. No was screaming. No one was calling emergency services. They were just watching.

Not understanding what the hell was going on, Oliver bolted to the bathroom. He needed to get this blood off his hands. He'd killed someone. Out of nowhere a man had come and approached him…attacked him…and then Oliver had killed him. This had to be it. This had to be why his companions had been so adamant for him to come with them to this bar. Somehow it had to do with that man, Oliver was sure of it but couldn't understand why. Was it a challenge? Did they want to take him down a notch in question of his leadership in the future?

He felt the guilt creep in as the man's last gasping breathes came to him…the way that he had laid there as his life pooled around him, soaking into his ripped suit. He had no other choice but to defend himself against the angry man. But that didn't erase or excuse the fact that Oliver had spilled that life. He had used the training and skills he had gained at school to end the life of a living and breathing person.

His hands shook as he saw that some of that same life was under his fingernails. He started to wildly scrub at his hands, wanting to get rid of the evidence of what he'd down when the bathroom door opened behind him. He wheeled around to yell at the person, to tell them to leave, when his eyes widened at who stood there. It was Anatoly. He was smiling.

"_Well done my boy_," Anatoly said, still smiling as he came over to Oliver and placed his hands on his shoulders, "_You did it_."

"_Did what_?" Oliver asked, clearly confused.

"_Your first kill_," Anatoly replied back like the proudest father as he started to explain.

Oliver felt disgust and anger begin to course through him.

Hands still covered in blood and cuts, Anatoly explained how Oliver had passed his test with flying colors. How Oliver was now a man for killing the man that lay in the other room. How his companions had complied with orders to bring him here. How the man was sent to him because he owed a debt and if he killed Oliver the debt would be cleared. It had all been a plan. That's why no one in the bar, including his companions, had freaked out when he'd killed the man. It was all part of some plan to see if Oliver was worthy. And by the smile on Anatoly's face, he was more than worthy for defending himself and ending that desperate man.

According to Bratva law, that night Oliver had established himself as a killer capable of carrying on the Bratva name. He'd established himself as no longer a boy, but a man who would kill anyone who came after him without a second thought with the prowess and agility of a strong future leader.

That night had been his true first step in becoming The Crow.

* * *

With his first step in becoming The Crow he learned some harsh truths, things hidden from him in his youth. Things that Anatoly thought he couldn't handle in the past but that he could handle now; the truth of his family's death. Anatoly hadn't gone into detail but he had told Oliver that the Triad had been responsible for his family's death. A longstanding rivalry for control with Bratva that had left the Queen family dead and Oliver Queen an orphan.

Oliver had been enraged when he found out, wanting Anatoly to tell him who it was so he could tear them apart. But Anatoly held still and told Oliver to control himself, to channel his anger while he dealt with the Triad. While he 'handled' them. So that's what he did. He channeled all his anger, all his loneliness, all his helplessness into becoming better, faster, harder to one day take care of Triad himself, no matter what Anatoly said.

He became something else after these harsh truths and his first kill, his second kill, his third kill…someone brand new. The last traces of the young boy that loved to chase his little sister in the mansion gardens, that would sleep with his mothers favorite book under his pillow, that chatted with Raisa about happy endings, was long gone. There were no happy endings in this life. Only endings for the ones he killed.

As the years passed he lost himself even more and became something his mentor, Anatoly, lovingly called 'The Crow'.

Killing became easier as he let go and pushed aside any kind of guilt or remorse he ever had. He became more distant from his humanity, more skeptical and withdrawn from others, and more respected/feared as the days passed. With each killing, with each bullet and each beating, he would turn further and further from the man he could have become. It came to a point where he didn't even know if there was anything left of the boy he was before.

For Bratva, for the brotherhood, for Anatoly…Oliver lost who he was.

And as it turned out Bratva saw Oliver as one of the best soldiers they'd ever had. The darker, distant and more critical man was an excellent killer, precise and efficient. He became one of Bratva's most loved sons and Anatoly couldn't be prouder. He was the heir of the brotherhood, and he was truly unstoppable because he would do anything that his leader told him to in his quest to bury and destroy his last traces of guilt and find out the truth of his family's death.

The soon to be Captain became Bratva and Bratva became him by the time he finished school and started active duty with the Bratva. He became a man that danced with death. A man that not even Hell wanted. A man where all that was left was The Crow.

* * *

Oliver lived with Anatoly and Raisa in Moscow for fifteen years. When the time came for him to finally go back to Starling City, he was 25 years old and a powerful and respected Bratva Captain ready to take over the reins.

For Anatoly it was the perfect time to re-connect with all Bratva business in America and to finally be able to use Queen Consolidated again to its full capacity. While Walter Steele had made the company thrive during the years as a legitimate business, he wasn't Bratva, and he had no idea what Anatoly had planned for it.

Isabel Rochev had been the one to deal with Bratva business at Queen Consolidated after Robert Queen's death. An obedient Bratva daughter, she had kept the money-laundering going in an inconspicuous and efficient manner. She had contained the money laundering to a lesser capacity than when Robert Queen was alive. And now that Oliver was going back to claim his place as CEO of QC and heir of the Queen fortune, Bratva would finally be able to reclaim its territory from the Italian and the Chinese mobs that had thrived in the past fifteen years of their absence.

Oliver was more than ready to rule the American branch of Bratva. He had been preparing for it since he was a child, and finally he would reclaim everything that belonged to him and more. But most of all, it was time for him to claim what he desperately desired. What he thought about every time he killed, every time he followed an order, every time he sat down and listened to Anatoly drone on and on about the Bratva way of life. What he had truly desired and had been denied to him on every front.

Revenge.

* * *

To the Starling City media, the return of Oliver Queen was like the return of a member of the royal family. The landing tracks entrance for his private plane was filled with press, and they all wanted a piece of the young heir of the billion-dollar company. They wanted to know who he was since no one had seen the young man for fifteen years, as he was kept secluded in Russia with no contact with the place he'd been born in. So no one knew exactly what to hope from the only remaining member of the Queen family.

To the delight of all, he had turned out to be a handsome man. He was about 6 feet tall, with broad shoulders, short blonde hair, bright blue eyes and a square jaw covered with stubble that looked like it had a perpetual 5 o'clock shadow. He had a mysterious and dangerous vibe, and it drove the press and all the women crazy.

It was exactly what he wanted. What Anatoly wanted.

His handsome looks worked in his favor; no one looking past his blinding smiles. No one looked past his gracious manner or the playboy act. No one had any idea what had happened to him in the time that he lived in Russia, Anatoly made sure of it and Oliver made sure no one suspected anything; never breaking character. No one would ever imagine that the young billionaire was a Captain for the most dangerous criminal Russian organization.

As he integrated himself to Starling City and to his families company, he made sure that he used his appealing, gracious and charming playboy manner to his advantage. No matter if it was to get a decision in his favor from one of the many Queen Consolidated board members or to get off from a speeding ticket from a lovely female cop. He kept his act up and slept with an endless array of women – models, heirs of multi-million dollar companies, lawyers, women that attended parties at his club Verdant, cops, and even Isabel Rochev – before Oliver demanded her to be sent back to Russia as he didn't need the woman to babysit him.

He was the Captain and he could do as he pleased.

* * *

Five years later, after he returned to Starling City, Oliver Queen ruled this city in more ways than one. Queen Consolidated was the biggest company in California and one of the top ten in the entire country. Walter had done an amazing job maintaining the company in his absence and Oliver would be forever grateful to the older man. With Oliver's reappearance, Walter was returned to his previous position as CFO – something he deeply appreciated so he could spend more time with his own family. And while Oliver Queen took care of Starling City during the day, The Crow did the same thing during the night.

The Bratva had reclaimed its territory in his home city. And even though it was a delicate balance of letting the gun and drug trafficking business continue to be run by the Italian Mob and the despicable Triad, the money-laundering business was all for them. Anatoly had desired to expand the Bratva business but Oliver knew the complications that some of their business practices in Russia would bring upon them if the American government became aware. So he made the wise decision to leave the Bratva and his families company out of other illegal business, no matter how much Anatoly didn't like it, as he knew that sooner or later the FBI would find a way into those crime sectors. Money laundering was safer, and no one would have any reason to doubt QC or question such a long-standing and trusted business. Besides, the profits were too high and the risks were low, when he compared money laundering against the gun and drug traffic business.

While the community of Starling City respected Oliver as a businessman, philanthropist, and even a playboy, The Crow was feared in every dark corner of the city. No one would see his face or know of his presence until it was too late as he was always hidden in the shadows, watching. But they all knew what he was capable of. The crime lords knew that the Heir of the Demon now ruled Starling City in Anatoly's absence. They also knew that Oliver Queen was behind it, but no one would even dare utter his name or wish him ill will because of what he was capable of.

Oliver didn't even have to get his hands dirty anymore; a select few working for him that he trusted. He had gained this right a long time ago, and he preferred it that way if he could. His decisions were calculated, and not done with passion or hate, but with rationality and clarity. That was what made him so good in at all that he did. He simply was detached from all of it. He was void of emotion, as any Bratva Captain should be.

* * *

Living behind two masks wasn't fun for Oliver.

Being in Starling City was living a double life; a mask for board meetings and another for his nights with Bratva. No one knew him; not really. All anyone saw was smoke and mirrors. But he preferred that way. To show himself was to expose all his weaknesses and he had learned a long time ago during his schooling that he could never show this side of himself. Not if he wanted to survive this life.

Even as he tried to be detached from all kinds of emotion in his new life in Starling City, there was one thing that he never could let go of: his family. Living in the Queen Mansion had been jarring, eye opening. This house had once belonged to his parents, from the intricate marble floors of the foyer to the crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, to the pastel tones of the long halls. Everything looked the same as it had twenty years ago. And while Anatoly insisted that he change things up, give the house a new look, he never had a heart to change a thing. In these walls were the last traces of his family.

Leaving everything the way that it was like before they were all murdered, was almost like having them with him. Sometimes at night, when he walked the halls of his home and if he concentrated hard enough, he could almost hear Thea's happy laughter as she ran down the halls, his mother's voice echoing in the ballroom, and the smell of his father's cigar in his office, that now belonged to Oliver. This house was the only thing he had left of them and it was the only place that he could sometimes still see the young Oliver Queen, the last piece of himself that he kept tucked away and that the Bratva never tarnished.

Living as a Bratva Captain in Starling City was also very jarring, eye opening, and dangerous. He now lived in the same city that held the people responsible for his family's death. Those people were the Triad. Ever since he'd found out that they were responsible he felt this churning anger in the pit of his stomach, this need to find every single member and tear them limb from limb. But Anatoly forbid it; assuring him that he had taken care of the people responsible. Throughout the years Oliver covertly invested himself in knowing everything he could about these 'responsible' people. And Anatoly was right. He did take care of all the people responsible, except two: the current leader of Triad, China White &amp; her father.

Oliver knew that they would be the toughest to take down, the head of the snake that had brought ruin to his family. So he bid his time and waited. He acted like he didn't care what Triad or their counterparts, the Italian Mob, were doing; that they were beneath him as he stripped them of their control and ruled supreme in Starling City. He acted like nothing was wrong as he brought QC to its full glory and took control of Bratva territory. One day he would find a way to take them out and Anatoly wouldn't be able to stop him. No one would.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by small footsteps approaching him as he made his way down the main hall stairs. He knew who it was before they appeared in his line of sight.

"_Good morning, Mr. Queen_," Anya greeted him in Russian. The fifty-year-old Russian housekeeper had moved to Starling City with him at the time of his return. Her orders to manage the mansion had come directly from Anatoly. His mentor said she was a gift since Raisa was hesitant to leave her home country. But Oliver knew that she was another pair of eyes and ears to keep an eye on him. He missed Raisa.

"_Morning, Anya_," Oliver replied in Russian, finally reaching the bottom of the stairs and following her to the large dining room. The table was already set for breakfast, "_Is Mr. Diggle in yet_?"

Anya gave a swift nod as she brought coffee over and the morning newspaper, "_He is talking to Yuri and Dimitri. Do you need me to summon him?_"

"_Yes_," Oliver replied shortly, as he began to eat his breakfast, his eyes already scanning through the newspaper.

Anya walked out of the room, and a few minutes later John Diggle walked in. Diggle was a tall, dark skinned man that was in his early forties. He had come into Oliver's life in the most surprising way – he saved his life. A few years ago, while Oliver was chasing down one of the men that were involved in killing his family, he fell into the line of fire. If it weren't for John getting the man first Oliver would have been injured. Diggle, just like Oliver, was chasing after his own revenge. Triad had been responsible for the death of his younger brother, and John – ex army – was tired of the SCPD's failed attempts at getting his killer. And so he'd decided to get revenge on his own terms and by his own hands. The two of them got along quite well after that, joining forces to get revenge for their loved ones against the Triad. Along the way they developed a solid bond of trust, and apart from Slade, Diggle became his best friend. He was one of the few men that Oliver trusted with his life and a part of his inner circle, along with Slade Wilson, Roy Harper and Sara Lance. Now years later, they were still looking for a way to destroy Triad.

"Morning, Mr. Queen" John said, as Oliver arched an eyebrow at him. John and him were friends, a term he didn't take lightly, and he would still call him Mr. Queen even if no one were listening. A part of him thought John might have done it on purpose to bug him, something that he wouldn't allow of anyone else beside 'a friend.'

"Are we all set for the meeting tonight?" Oliver asked him.

"Yes, sir. Miller will be there to report to you the latest transactions."

"Excellent."

Oliver finished his coffee and walked out to the foyer with John. When they reached the door Anya walked up to him and handed him his leather briefcase. John kept on walking and exited the mansion, opening the back door of a dark Rolls Royce.

"I will expect some company tonight, Anya. Take her to the usual room," Oliver said as he walked to the car.

"Yes, Mr. Queen," Anya replied, closing the door behind Oliver.

It was time for another day of masks.

* * *

Oliver's breathing was labored as he steadily moved above her. He held tight onto Helena's thighs as he felt her nails running down his back. She moaned his name, lost in her own pleasure. He kept pushing, chasing after his own gratification until he could see nothing but white light and feel pleasure. He closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation, the quick release. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough to make him feel free from all of it. The darkness that was his life.

The feel of Helena's hand on the small of his back brought him back from his nirvana. He opened his eyes, looking down at the woman under him. She was smiling, her pale skin flushed and her blue eyes shining; she looked debauched. He felt sick.

To feel her hands against his skin was too much. He hated himself for getting lost in the mess that was Helena one more time just for a couple seconds of pleasure. It was a mistake.

Oliver slowly removed himself from inside of her, ignoring her small pleads for him to stay inside of her. He held tightly onto the condom, making sure that it was still intact. He sat down on the bed as he removed the condom, tying it off and throwing it in the small bin next to the bed. While he liked to get lost for a couple seconds in selfish pleasure he wasn't stupid. And getting someone like Helena pregnant was not on the list of things he wanted to happen.

He peered back at her lounging body. The relaxed feeling he felt a few seconds ago was long gone. And the sight of her on the bed brought back everything to him. Helena Bertinelli was another mistake like endless others he had done in his life. She was a gorgeous woman, no denying that, with her long dark hair, big blue eyes and creamy skin. But the only reason he kept her around was because she was available and willing. That and she was the daughter of Frank Bertinelli – the head of the American branch of the Italian Mob in Starling City – a man that Oliver despised. Yet, for Bratva and his future need for revenge against the allies of the Triad, he kept a somewhat civil business relationship with them. Plus screwing his precious daughter brought as much pleasure to Oliver as the sex itself.

He quickly slid his black boxers back on and grabbed his pack of cigarettes. He lit one while she sat on the bed staring at him. Oliver could feel her eyes moving over every inch of his body, trying to ignite a reaction from him. Helena always wanted more from him, sexually and sometimes even emotionally, but he'd never allow it. He didn't need anyone and he saw no point in letting anyone inside. She was just a quick release, just like many others faceless women that walked in and out of his life. Plus she was too much trouble. She was crazy as much as she was gorgeous.

They had been having this casual affair for the past three months – quick, hard and dirty – and while Oliver never made her promises, Helena always turned clingy and possessive, in a slightly obsessive way. And every time they had sex, he would promise himself it would be the last time, but he would always find himself calling her when he was up for a quick fuck. Helena provided that to him, but lately it wasn't even worth it anymore.

Oliver let the cigarette smoke out of his nostrils, as he enjoyed the last seconds of silence. He knew exactly what was coming next. She was extremely predictable in that way.

"Oliver! Are you really going to stand there and ignore me?" she asked him, her tone angry and right on time.

"You say it like I care," he said shortly, pushing the burning ashes of his cigarette into an ashtray on the side table. His eyes followed the lazy trail of smoke up.

"You cared while you were inside of me!" she shrieked, her dark hair flying against her as her face turned red with rage.

Oliver contemplated looking up from the billowing smoke. He didn't. "Don't flatter yourself, sweetheart. I have been inside many women. None of them mattered, just as you don't."

"Fuck you, Oliver," she shouted angrily. He could practically hear her shaking in anger. Helena was used to getting her way and she hated not having the control she wanted.

Oliver lit another cigarette and finally set his cold eyes on her as he pulled out his 9mm, and personal companion, from the side table; the cigarette hanging from his lips. "You can find your way out."

Her eyes flickered to the gun and she met his blank stare with a furious one of her own. "You're kicking me out of your bedroom? Again?"

Oliver scoffed, throwing her ruby pair of underwear in her direction, followed by the rest of her clothes. "Actually I'm kicking you out of my house, Helena. And no, this isn't my bedroom."

"You can't keep doing this to me, Oliver! Who the hell you think you are?!" she shouted, all of her control slipping as she got out of bed. Her nakedness did nothing to him.

"Why don't you go and argue with someone that actually gives a fuck about you, like your fiancée for instance. Or did you forget about that clown that put that big rock on your finger?" Oliver asked as she looked down at the huge diamond ring that her fiancé Michael had given her over six months ago. He was a bookie for the Italian Mob, and he listened to every word Frank Bertinelli said. The excess of faith and devotion that Michael had towards Bertinelli was what made Helena seek out Oliver in the first place. Even Oliver could admit she was full of daddy issues.

"I thought we had a clear agreement, Helena. I fucked you till there was no tomorrow – so that you fulfilled your bad boy fantasy and gave to you all the things that your fiancé was lacking, and you walk away from here happy and satisfied. No strings attached. I don't see how you keep on misunderstanding that!" Oliver shouted, his words hitting Helena hard. She liked to think she was turning him around, that The Crow had finally let someone in. She was wrong.

"You are such a fucking asshole!" Helena seethed as she threw her clothes on, her black pumps in her hands, as she stormed towards the door.

"That's the rumor," Oliver replied sarcastically as he walked ahead of her and opened the door so she'd leave. He was tired of her.

"You will call me back. You always do," she said as she paused in front of him, challenging him.

Oliver signaled for the guard on duty to come over. He always had one when Helena was around. And it was moments like this that Oliver knew that he needed to stay away from Helena Bertinelli, permanently. That woman was much more trouble than she was worth.

"Don't hold your breath," he said coldly as he signaled from the guard to escort her out. Helena struggled against the guard for a second but said nothing as she was led out.

Not wasting another second on her he closed the bedroom door. He really needed to stay away from her crazy ass.

* * *

After he put some pants on he walked over to the bed, stripping the bed of its sheets. His encounter with Helena was a mistake; something that he wouldn't be doing again. And even though he couldn't stand the thought of Anya 'watching/spying' on him, he didn't want the fifty-year-old woman to have to take care of these sheets. Placing them in the laundry basket in the bathroom he pulled out another bed set and made the bed.

After that was done he made his way to his room on the other side of the mansion. More days than not he always ended up in his room, isolated and alone. He spent half of his day at the office in QC and then another quarter in his office at the mansion. After that he always retreated here. His cave of solitude.

He did a sweep of his room like he did every night; checking the closets and the bathroom connected to his room, even checking the windows with his weapon in hand. He had been cautious as a child but being part of Bratva had elevated that caution and diligence. Plus he might be part of Bratva but he wasn't an idiot. There was never a dull moment in his life.

He entered his bathroom and pulled off his clothes, placing his weapon and watch on the counter. He still smelled a bit of Helena on his skin and it made him sick. He entered the large glass walk-in shower and set the water to practically steam the room in seconds. He let out a low hiss as the soothingly warm water hit his chest; the muscles loosing instantly. Grabbing his soap he began to scrub any and all reminders of her away.

His fingers slipped over his scars. Helena might have appreciated his body, seen the appeal of the play of muscles and strength, but there was a part of him that felt a twinge of shame when he ran his soapy hands over the scars. What would his mother say if she saw the scars he now had on various parts of his body? What would his father do when he explained that each mark was a sign that he'd survived another day? Would his little sister cry and ask what happened?

Taking a shuddering breath he closed his eyes and washed his body quickly; washing the smell of Helena and the thoughts of his family away. He let the water wash it all away. When that was done he excited the shower and realized he hadn't brought a towel with him. Without a second thought he left the bathroom naked but for his weapon and constant companion. He made his way to his walk in closet, feet leaving a trail of wet prints. He dried himself and threw on a pair of sweats before doing another sweep of his room. Diligence.

When he confirmed that all was well he retrieved his watch and placed his weapon on his side table. It was time for his nightly ritual.

Digging around in his side drawer he pulled out a small blue book before slipping into bed. Pulling his duvet cover up to his chest he sunk back into his pillows. Like in the shower this was the only time of the day when he could really let go of everything and think back on thoughts he'd rather keep hidden. Revenge and anger thwarted him throughout the day and he was a cold, detached and dark presence that put fear in people's hearts. But here with this book in his hands he could relax a bit and remember the boy he used to be, the man he could have been if…if his family was still here.

Opening the first page he tried to not let the bitter taste and need of revenge overwhelm him. This was his moment to just remember that this blue book was a part of him, a part of his family. When he had been five his mother had given him the book in his hands. She told him that when she was little her mother used to read to her so she was keeping the tradition going. And she'd kept her promise. Every night since he was five his mother, and even his father, when his mother wasn't available, would read The Little Prince to him. He loved the story of the young boy who had fallen to Earth on a tiny asteroid and who wondered about the adult world. Within the pages his mother would write small notes and dates of things that she wanted him to remember. Flipping to the back of the book he took in Thea's messy scrawl when she'd attempted to help her mother and Oliver. He ran his fingertips over where she wrote his name and let the tired feeling weigh him down, the years without their love and support.

He'd had this book with him when everything went to shit. When their car was sent spinning this had been tucked into his jacket by his feet, never too far from his reach. Even now he could still spot little flecks of brown where blood had dried on it, small nicks where glass had cut at it. All signs of a past that he wanted to forget and that he was still grieving for. He masked it now with anger and detachment but his grief was still there hidden behind his mask and the pages of this book.

Gripping the book tightly he slid down the bed and started to read the book for what felt like the thousandth time. He pushed away the bitter anger and thought of Thea's bright smile. He pushed away the isolation and thought of his mother's warm hugs. He pushed away the darkness and thought of his father's comforting words. He would do this all for them. He would survive, thrive, and seek revenge for his family, even if they weren't there anymore. Even if it were a dark and lonely path that he was walking on, he would do this for them.

As Oliver Queen.

As The Crow.

* * *

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**PoisonAngelMuse and TheAlternativeSource**


	2. Everybody Wants To Rule The World

**The Crow Chapter 2 – Everybody Wants To Rule The World **

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**Music Everybody Wants To Rule The World by Lord**

_Welcome to your life  
There's no turning back  
Even while we sleep  
We will find you  
Acting on your best behaviour  
Turn your back on mother nature_

_Everybody wants to rule the world_

_It's my own design  
It's my own remorse  
Help me to decide  
Help me make the most of  
Freedom and of pleasure  
Nothing ever lasts forever_

_Everybody wants to rule the world_

_There's a room where the light won't find you  
Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down  
When they do I'll be right behind you_

_So glad we've almost made it  
So sad we had to fade it_

_Everybody wants to rule the world  
Everybody wants to rule the world  
Everybody wants to rule  
The world_

The sound of Felicity's heavy combat boots against the wet concrete pavement were the only sounds in the empty street. She walked quickly, looking back over her shoulder every few minutes, her heart jumping inside her chest at every small noise. Night was quickly approaching and as the cold wind blew, she heard the sound of a dark crow flying above her. Her eyes caught sight of it as it flew over to a building across the street.

Any other day and she would have just ignored it…now she thought that it was following her. A sign.

Tucking her shoulders up she pulled her backpack tighter against her back. A chill ran down her spine inside her leather jacket. She wasn't ready for this. Wasn't ready for being alone and tired. She didn't want to feel like this anymore. She thought she was done with this empty feeling inside of her. This feeling of everything being ripped away where she was the only one left.

She was wrong.

For most of her life she was invisible, hiding in shadows, just another face in the crowd. Ever since she was little she reasoned that if she were invisible no one would try to hurt her, judge her, or push her. Invisibility meant safety. And sadly, Felicity Smoak never knew any other way. That had all been shaken tonight.

* * *

Growing up in Las Vegas as the only daughter of a cocktail waitress with a penchant for having a string of boyfriends and not noticing her growing and changing daughter, made it so that the odds were not in her favor from the start.

She was a bright girl since birth. Her intelligence levels above the average person with a snappy personality to match. And even though an absent father had left her mother to care for her, she loved her. Her mother, Donna, acknowledged how smart and brilliant her daughter was but many others didn't. They would look at her with their judging eyes, wondering why a little girl was more interested in books, in computers, in anything besides Barbie's and playing around with other kids. People had a hard time understanding her. If fact, even her mother had a hard time understanding her sometimes. But she was her daughter so she tried.

To be truthful, her mother Donna had tried the best she could. She would support her daughter's education, working along with Felicity's schoolteachers to help develop her abilities and even skip her a grade even if she didn't understand a word Felicity said. She would support her daughter financially, making sure she was fed, dressed, and always had a babysitter. She tried to provide for her as much as she thought she should/could. But she was never there.

Donna's priority was her life and her job. Her job as a cocktail waitress made it so she worked endless hours, trying to provide for her daughter. This led her to miss all the signs that her daughter needed her. Her job stopped her from noticing Felicity as she grew. Not noticing when her daughter's eyes would be on her, waiting for her mother to see her or even notice her. Donna's job also afforded her a lot of opportunities to meet men and continue her aforementioned life. Her mother was a beautiful woman and she wanted to live it no matter how much time she had to spend away from her daughter.

She wanted to find a man to 'complete' her, maybe even give Felicity a father. It would go like this. Donna would work at the casino and meet a wonderful guy, Felicity's equivalent of the wrong kind of man, with eyes that apparently only shined for her and a bank account to match. They would spend countless evenings together, eating in fancy restaurants and even sometimes going on supposed 'family' outings. But every time it would end the same way; broken hearts and a sobbing mother who would remember that she had a daughter. Curling up next to her and telling Felicity that one day she would find someone good for them. In those moments she loved her mother and forgave her for everything.

For those couple weeks when she dropped her 'man hunt' things were great. Felicity's mom would be attentive, caring, even loving. They would go to the park, watch television together and on one rare time when she was six go to see the pandas at the zoo. A couple weeks later it would start again. Donna was a hopeless romantic and had the need to always have a man by her side or she wouldn't feel complete. So while Felicity wondered why her mother wasn't home anymore or why she wouldn't play with her and leave her with a horrible babysitter, Donna continued looking for Mr. Right. She dreamt of the perfect family, a good husband and a father figure for her daughter. Sadly, that dream never came true.

All of this led Felicity to learn that invisibility was key at a young age. If no one saw her then no one could hurt her, judge her, or push her around. It worked on her mom when she came home ranting and raving about a date or a patron who was a little rambunctious, as if Felicity would want to know about that. It worked when her neighbors would whisper or stare at catching her bringing home a bunch of books in her tiny arms instead of friends. It worked on her mother's boyfriends when their eyes would linger too long on her and she would lock herself in her bedroom or the bathroom. It even worked when the kids at school would try to pick on pigtail wearing, geeky Felicity. It kept her safe.

Invisibility hurt.

At a young age Felicity thought something was wrong with her. Every mean comment or odd look cutting though her like glass, her fragile heart not understanding why people said she was different even though she could solve high school math problems at a young age. That looked like an achievement to her that deserved recognition but all she got was odd looks and a mother that didn't understand why she strived for more. Invisibility also brought loneliness. A coldness growing in her that made it so she withdrew into herself, protecting her heart from all her mother and everyone else. She would read herself to sleep, dress herself after the babysitter helped her with a bath, and worked on her homework by herself.

By the time Felicity was 8 years old she knew some absolute truths. Firstly, that her mother didn't see her like the daughter that Felicity wished. Secondly, that her mother would always be on the look out for the next man. And lastly, that she would have to learn how to take care for herself since no one else would.

* * *

Despite the loneliness that prevailed her when she little she couldn't deny that her mother was the fiercest and most beautiful woman that she knew. Felicity was pretty sure that her mother was a princess of sorts and would sit with her while she got ready for the night. She loved to see her mom dressed in her shiny and sparkly dresses, her makeup always on point and smelling like the sweetest perfume.

When she was about 8 years old her mother got a job at the Bellagio. Things changed even more then. She spent an increasing amount of time working there as a cocktail waitress because according to Donna it was a 'goldmine' of opportunities for them. She didn't care that she was leaving her young daughter alone more often. It was around that time that Felicity learned how to fix things on her own and how to take care of herself courtesy of the Watsons.

Their neighbor Mr. Watson and his wife had agreed to take care of Felicity instead of the numerous babysitters they went through. And Felicity loved it there. The Watsons were caring and sweet. Mrs. Watson would time out of her day to teach her about her growing and changing body, how to cook, and how to be a lady. Mr. Watson took his time to teach Felicity something that would drive her for the rest of her life – how to fix things. He loved to fix all sorts of things, no matter how big or small. He taught her how to take any electronic device apart and how to put it back together. He made her see that wires were wires, and that there was always a way to fix it. Nothing was irreparable.

"I can't fix it," nine-year-old Felicity grumbled, throwing the screwdriver down on the table in frustration. She felt helpless.

"You just have to be patient, Felicity. You can fix it; you just need to find the cause of the problem. Don't lose your focus." James Watson calmly reassured her as he took the remaining screws from Felicity's small hand and calmly worked on the small toaster. Felicity watched with rapt attention. A few minutes later the toaster was working again. "See, you were really close to fix it by yourself," the older man added.

"You just make it look so easy," she mumbled, her big glasses falling down to the tip of her nose as she tucked her long bangs behind her ears.

"That's because I've had a lot of practice," Mr. Watson joked, "You'll get it. Just takes time. And we'll keep on trying till you get it dear."

"I wish I could be just like you, Mr. Watson," the little girl said with a sweet smile.

"And you can be, Felicity. You are the most brilliant little girl that I've ever met. You are destined for greatness. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You can change the world, Felicity. Never forget that." Mr. Watson beamed at her with pride when she picked up the screwdriver again as Mary Watson walked into the living room.

"James, Lissy, lunch is ready. Honey, time to put your toys away," Mary said, while pointing to the endless tools and components that were strewn about on the table, before walking back towards the small kitchen. Mr. Watson helped her put her stuff away in her very own toolbox.

"Lissy, can you set the table, please," a call came from the kitchen.

"Sure, Mrs. Watson," Felicity replied. Practice made it so it only took a couple minutes to set the table for the three of them to have lunch together.

The Watson's and Felicity had a very easy relationship. While they had their own child, he lived far away from them in New Jersey with his own kids, and the couple was lonely. When Donna Smoak begged them for help to watch over Felicity, as her regular baby sitter couldn't, they opened their home and their hearts to the small dark haired girl with braided pigtails and large glasses. They enjoyed her quirky personality and her brilliant mind, and it gave the older couple a feeling of joy that they hadn't felt in a very long time. Felicity loved them just as much, and she longed for afternoons and nights that she spent with the Watson's.

No matter how lonely she would get from time to time when her mother was away working, or out with a boyfriend, the Watsons always made her feel like she belonged. They loved her as if she was their own grandchild and treated her as family. And Felicity felt like they had become the family that she had always wanted. She would help Mrs. Watson cook dinner, or help Mr. Watson fix things on a daily basis. They would watch old movies together, work on her homework and read books together. In fact they were the first ones to give Felicity her very own book. The old copy of The Hobbit, with its yellow pages and turned down corners was still her favorite, no matter how many times she had read it. She would always carry the book with her, no matter where she went.

All of this time spent together made it so that Mr. Watson's promise of her getting better with practice, come true. Felicity could still picture how proud he was of her when she fixed her first radio at the age of 10 years old. She and Mr. Watson would spend hours going through antique and broken looking electronics that he loved to restore. When she had blown right through those he helped her get her first computer; actually he helped her build one. With his help they went through various books on electronics that he had from his working days. And for the next year they dedicated themselves into working small components – from old computer parts from the Salvation Army – to build a makeshift computer for her. It was their ultimate goal to finish this together. But he would never see their project finished.

Sadly, Mr. Watson passed away when Felicity was 12. His death was devastating for both Mary and Felicity, but she promised herself and Mrs. Watson that she wouldn't give up. That she would carry his memory with her all the time, with each component, with each wire and screw that she worked on. He was the one that first noticed how special she was and that helped her improve her abilities. He inspired her to do more. He believed in her and she wouldn't disappoint him.

His wife, Mrs. Watson didn't handle his loss very well. The old couple had been married for fifty years and the loneliness that she felt was heartbreaking. The older woman was miserable, being away from her beloved and slowly but surely started cutting off her babysitting duties of Felicity. When she had asked Mrs. Watson why she couldn't come over and cook, watch old movies and work on her electronics there as often as she did in the past, Mrs. Watson had told her that she believed that Felicity was capable of taking care of herself and wouldn't need to be watched as diligently as before. Neither brought up the crippling loneliness they felt for the empty hole that been left in their lives.

Not long after her husband passed away, Mrs. Watson followed.

Felicity was devastated to lose two people that she loved and considered the closest thing she would get to grandparents. She lost the security and the feeling of belonging she had gained for the first time in her young life. She lost the two people that were always there for her, that loved her and cherished her from who she actually was. She lost part of her family and a part of herself.

Years later she would listen to that radio she first built with Mr. Watson when she felt alone and needed her family.

* * *

After The Watson's passed away and she entered her teenage years, Felicity became even more lonely and an outsider.

She couldn't fit in with the other kids her age, and no one seemed to understand the young girl like the older couple had. Her mother seemed oblivious to her daughters pain and believed that it was just 'teenager angst' as she liked to say. That it would pass, as she grew older. But what Donna couldn't see was that Felicity had lost her sense of belonging since they were the only family that she knew, as her mother kept being absent when Felicity needed her the most.

Her loneliness made it so she would spend never-ending hours with her nose inside a book or building her own electronics and inventions from old spare parts she could scrounge up. She grew to love her ability to build and fix things. It was something that she had control of in a life where nothing was as she desired. It felt good to be able to control something. And she was damn good at it. She learned how to live and be happier with the characters in her books and comics and the things that she created. She could always count on the characters in her books and comics. They never let her down like life did.

She kept moving forward for the next couple years just like she knew that Mr. and Mrs. Watson would have liked her to do. She got good grades in school, she stayed out of trouble, and got better at building and fixing things. She even took care of her mom when she was around. Before she knew it she was feeling years older than she actually was. The weight of being the responsible one on her shoulders.

While that was all fine and dandy she couldn't stop the amounting feeling of inadequacy and frustration that she felt around her peers and her mother. It made it so she could hardly picture that little girl that James and Mary Watson were so proud of, the one they believed that could change the world if she tried it. She felt hopeless as she watched her life passing by, and her inability to change it.

It was on one of those lonely nights, that the ever growing angry 14 year old found a sweet escape for all her frustrations. She was channel surfing when she hit a rerun of a movie staring a young Angeline Jolie in a world that Felicity never knew could be possible. A world where your smarts got you far and a love of electronics was ok. Felicity Smoak realized that night that she could change the world if she chose to with just a few strokes of her keyboard.

That was the day that The Oracle was born.

* * *

While she was growing up most of the men that came in and out of her life, courtesy of Donna, kept to themselves, not wanting to endure a small child. That all changed when she hit puberty. All of a sudden Felicity got the unwanted attention from them that she never wanted. And no matter how much she tried she couldn't escape it as Donna brought these men into her home. No matter how much she would hide her changing body with loose clothes, or hide her beautiful face behind a waterfall of dark hair, or try to keep out of the way and locked inside her room…they would always have eyes for her.

At first, it was small innuendos, disgusting appreciating looks, and some catcalls. She hated it all. It made her feel dirty and violated. And her mom seemed to be oblivious to it as well. Too lost in her own fantasy world. Donna always tried to see the best in people, and no matter how much her daughter expressed her desire to stay away from her mother's boyfriends, Donna simply couldn't see how any of them would ever try to hurt her child.

On the one occasion that one of her mother's boyfriends made her feel disturbingly uncomfortable and she had complained to her mother about it…Donna had thought she was making it up. Maybe even trying to pull attention from Donna and to herself. That was the day that Felicity Smoak realized that her mom wouldn't pick her side no matter how much she begged her. No matter how vile those men were. They came first in her eyes.

She was alone.

* * *

Entering high school didn't make things any easier. To Felicity, it was a time filled with angst, pain and self-doubt as her body truly blossomed. She continued to be a loner, not trusting anyone to get too close to her, and she'd rather spend her time in the safe haven of her own bedroom than around other people.

High school was tough, as she didn't fit in with anyone. She was also a constant victim of bullying. While they never touched her, the mental scars felt much more painful than the physical ones they could have left behind. Her confidence took a blow during these years. She would wonder why all these bad things were happening to her? Why life had to be that hard when she never did anything to hurt anyone? Why had life chosen to be so unfair to her?

The only thing that kept her going in high school besides her books and her steadying wonder with electronics was her schoolwork. Her teachers tried to help her as much as they could and she ended up taking tons of AP classes and joining extra-curricular activities to stay as far from home as possible. She was good at her schoolwork as it was something that she could understand and work with it. It was safe. It was one of her teachers that pointed out that her talent with Math and Computer Sciences could be put to better use. He was the one that pushed M.I.T into her life and filled her soul with hopes and dreams of a better life. He gave a sense of purpose that she never had before. He gave her a way out of a life that only brought her pain and sorrow.

So Felicity put her heart into it. She worked harder than ever to get the highest SAT scores that her school had ever seen and a stack of recommendation letters that would get her into M.I.T. She had a real chance of getting in by the first half of her senior year. While she knew that her mom couldn't afford a place like M.I.T, her professor explained that she had a high chance of getting all sorts of scholarships because she was exactly the kind of student that they were looking for. After submitting her application it was a waiting game.

It was during a study session for her winter break finals that her mother seriously questioned her future plans. She was lying down on her bed, a book in her hands and Linkin Park playing in the background. The music helped her focus and she was enjoying the last moments of peace and quiet of the night. But the minute she heard the familiar sound of high heels clicking against the hardwood floors, she knew her time was up. Letting go a tired sigh she put a bookmarker in her Chemistry book and waited for the hurricane that was Donna Smoak.

"Lissy, honey. Are you home?" Donna said, her voice echoing in the small apartment.

"I'm in my room!" Felicity shouted, closing her book as a frustrated sigh left her dark painted lips. Things between her and Donna had been even more strained lately – Felicity's desire to move out of Las Vegas and Donna's desire for her to follow her footsteps always caused fights nowadays. Felicity was exhausted of fighting with her mom.

Donna walked into her room on quick and smooth steps. Her green sequin dress and extremely high heels proof that she just finished another day at the casino. She smelled like cigarettes and scotch, and the smell of it always made Felicity's stomach uneasy. It was proof of the life that her mom leaded, and Felicity hated that she couldn't see pass it. Her mom would never leave Las Vegas. And Felicity would be dammed if she would be another victim of this fate. She knew that M.I.T would change her life, and she couldn't wait for it.

While her mom had gorgeous long blonde hair and a curvy body, Felicity had her father's dark brown hair, and his wicked mind. Her mom would always say how she couldn't keep up with her, just like she couldn't with her father during their time together. Donna was flirty and romantic, always picturing endless possibilities of happy endings with each new man that walked into her life, and always putting her heart on the line. Felicity was realistic, grounded and quite frankly a loner. She was the complete opposite of her mother, and that always led them down different paths and into many arguments.

"Look what I got you, baby," Donna said in excitement as she put a small bag into Felicity's hands.

"What is it?" Felicity asked her with an arched eyebrow. It wasn't her birthday or time for Hanukah so there was no reason for unplanned presents. Not to mention she was sure they couldn't afford it.

"Open it, silly!" Donna said, practically vibrating in glee as she moved to sit next to Felicity on the bed.

Felicity opened the bag only to find a short baby pink lace dress. It had cap sleeves and a small amount of tulle to give it volume. Felicity kept staring at the small dress, frozen and at a lose for words.

"Isn't it wonderful? I was walking by my favorite thrift_shop _on the way back home and when I saw it I couldn't resist. It will look so good on you. The color will look amazing against your pale skin. Then with the right pair of heels and the right hairstyle, you will look like a million bucks. I'm sure that Tom from the casino won't be able to resist you," Donna said proudly, moving her hands over Felicity's hair, trying to see how to make her more presentable.

"What?" Felicity asked, shock and anger mixing in her tone.

"I know you don't like to wear your hair up, but it will look good with the dress. We can braid it even," Donna said, lost in her own thoughts and not catching Felicity's shock or anger.

"That wasn't what I mean, mom," Felicity said, throwing the dress back in the bag.

Her mom pulled back and gave her a confused look as if Felicity was in the wrong, "What do you mean, then?"

"Tom, the security guard from the casino? Really? He is 27 years old!"

"So?"

"I'm seventeen, mom! That's not even legal!"

"Well, a lot of women like older men. Older men like to support and protect women. That is a very nice trait to find in a companion. You know that Tom likes you, Lissy. He is always so polite with you. He will make a fine husband one day. Any woman would be lucky to have him!"

"Mother! I don't even like, Tom! How can you even try to set us up? And the dress, really? What the hell is wrong with you?" Felicity said furiously, getting up from the bed and walking towards the other side of the room where her desk sat.

"I'm thinking about your future! You need to find someone to take care of you, Felicity. I won't be around forever, and when I am gone, who will be there for you?"

Felicity scoffed. Who would be there for her? That was certainly a surprising sentence coming from her, "I don't need a man to take care of me! I have been doing fine by myself. I have been feeding myself, cleaning the house, going back and forth to school, all by myself since I was 8 years old!"

"Don't be absurd, Felicity" Donna said, exasperated as she got up from the bed.

"No mother! You are being absurd!" Felicity shot back, pointing at her mother, "Why do you keep trying to change me?"

"Because it's not healthy! All you do is go to school; spend hours locked inside this room or the damn bathroom, with this angry music playing, surrounded by books and those old computer parts. You keep dressing as if you were going to a funeral with all that black clothing and that dark makeup! Not to mention all those piercings," Donna shouted back, letting her daughter know exactly how disappointed she was with her and the person she'd chosen to be, "You will never find someone to be with you while you are dressed like that and with that attitude. Don't you worry about your future?"

"Really? That's all this will ever be about? Me finding a guy to support me? How about my hopes and dreams? How about me getting out of this town, and getting far away from it!"

"Oh Felicity, don't kid yourself," Donna said, bitterness transforming her beautiful face into something ugly.

Felicity felt anger and pain bubble up inside of her. She wouldn't let anyone stomp on her dreams, "I will get the hell out of this city, mother. You mark my words. I won't stick around and watch all my dreams die."

"You really believe that because you are bright and good with computers you will find a way out of here. That M.I.T will change your life. Is that it?" Donna asked her in disbelief, placing her hands on her hips, "Guess what Felicity, girls like us don't get to go out there and conquer the world. We are the ones that stay behind and serve the drinks. You can try to fight it all you want, but the quicker you accept it, the easier your life will become."

"I won't ever accept it!" Felicity shouted angrily, furious tears pooling in her eyes, "I won't be like you!"

Donna looked as if she had been slapped. "Then I hope you will enjoy the disappointment," her mother growled out as she took the bag with the dress and left a broken Felicity behind, "Cause this is all you are going to get".

* * *

Donna's lack of faith on Felicity's dreams only pushed then further apart. While Felicity worked hard to achieve her goal of attending M.I.T, Donna got even more lost in her own little world. At the time Donna was dating Dave, a lawyer that Felicity was sure was married with kids somewhere – he would come and go every few weeks, always bringing Donna luxurious gifts and taking her to expensive dinners – then he would suddenly disappear, not pick up her mother's phone calls; leaving a mess behind him. Felicity despised him, and it drove her mother mad, since Donna believed he was her prince charming.

Her relationship with her mom began to truly fade as time passed and home became her own personal brand of hell. She resented her mom for choosing her life over her daughters and thinking that Felicity would follow in her footsteps. Felicity would always be locked in her bedroom, her cyber personality taking over and giving her the control that she craved. While Felicity Smoak was bright, she was considered weak and weird. But The Oracle was strong, determined and even feared in some ways. Coding and hacking came naturally to her, and soon she was immersed in a life that was very different from her own. The cyber world made more sense to her than what she was living every day, and for the first time in forever, she felt free. Hacking became second nature to her like breathing was.

The Oracle became her salvation.

While all the odds were against Felicity Smoak, she made the best of it during the final months at her home with Donna. When she was 17 years old, she emancipated herself and said goodbye to a life that she always felt she didn't belong in. She broke all chains that had held her back. She said goodbye and never looked back.

* * *

It was in M.I.T that her life really changed.

Even on her first day, a large backpack on her back and a box in her hands with all the belonging she had, she didn't feel like a freak here, like she didn't belong. No one seemed to stare at her jet back hair and purple highlights, or at her ripped jeans and combat boots, and dark makeup. No one actually seemed to care. They were all too busy living their own lives and it exhilarated Felicity.

Her dorm room became her home and M.I.T her life. While she was majoring in computer sciences, she would work part time in a small library and spend many nights working on her hacking as The Oracle. The thrill of the danger, freedom and challenge that she experienced every time that she hacked was enough to keep her going that first year. She was known in the hacker world. In many ways people came to admire her work.

Felicity finally was happy, and she couldn't imagine living her life any other way.

Her life changed even more when Cooper Sheldon came into the picture. He was a senior, majoring in the same area as she was. When he caught sight of her one day at work he had approached her and actually flirted with her. Felicity was shocked. This had never happened to her before. Especially because he was gorgeous, with dark blond hair, dreamy eyes and a sarcastic personality that she enjoyed. He was like her in many ways, and they became quick friends who spent hours talking about music, politics, their courses and even the latest TV show that they both enjoyed. She tried to resist at first, wanting to focus on her major and not follow in her mom's footsteps. But Cooper wouldn't give up, and after months of pursuing her, she accepted his dinner invitation. Their first kiss blew her away. She felt something shift inside her, realizing that not all men were like the sleaze bags that her mom dated. She didn't let go of all her doubts and fears but they eased slowly and surely. For the first time in a long time, she put her heart on the line and let someone in.

Cooper became her first love.

They dated for almost a year and Felicity soon realized that her boyfriend had a cyber pseudo personality just as she had. It was further proof that he was just like her, had a much darker side, a side that he liked to say was focused on doing the right thing just like her. According to Cooper he would not reduce himself to becoming a corporate lap dog. No, he would be something else. Cooper liked to say that he was a hacktivist, that he was ready to fight and face a world filled with injustice, to be a hero. To dare to make things and venture to places no one else would.

And she was right there with him as he convinced her with his words, '_You need to decide what you want to be when you grow up babe, a hacker or a hero.'_

He seduced her with the idea of doing the right thing, to help people in need, people that society would exploit. Cooper loved to say that they had gifts, and that they could make a difference, that they could change the world together. The words sounded like music to Felicity and she embarked on a dangerous journey of illegal hacking that would change her life. A world she thought she'd be even freer in and where she could have control and change the lives of others for the better.

By the end of her first year Cooper introduced her to Charles 'Chuck' Thomas and to Cameron 'Rory' Matthews. The three of them became their own knights, the pseudo Robin Hood of a modern era. They became The Raiders. They would take from the dirty and corrupt, and give it to the poor and oppress. They would settle the scale and the injustices of society.

And nothing would ever be the same ever again.

* * *

Felicity relationship with Cooper didn't last long. While they shared a love for technology and for setting right society's wrongs, they didn't have much but that. As soon as the flame of passion passed, Felicity realized that Cooper was far from the courageous and loving man she thought she'd fallen in love with. He had a darker side that scared her and he had a greed growing inside of him that sometimes made Felicity question his motives for what they were doing. Yet she stayed with him and The Raiders for her four years at M.I.T. They became her second family.

When graduation came around Felicity was at an impasse. The Raiders had become her home. And now all of a sudden she was being faced with this decision to leave and go anywhere but Las Vegas or stay here at M.I.T. Sure she had offers to work at some really good companies thanks to her professors – Palmer Technologies, Queen Consolidated and Wayne Enterprises – but this was her home, here with Cooper, Chuck, and Rory. Plus she was doing something worthwhile here. Taking from the rich and giving to the poor as cliché as that sounded. In the end she decided that the job they were doing was more important and more rewarding than any job she would have at QC, Palmer Tech., or Wayne Enterprises.

So she stayed and she wasn't alone anymore.

A year after her graduation she marked herself as being with The Raiders, her family, for five years. In that time they had hacked into endless government agencies, private companies and banks. Always looking for holes in their systems, always stealing from those that didn't make honest money, always taking from them and disappearing before anyone would ever notice. They would sometimes steal small and sometimes large amounts of money, always making sure that no one would be able to track them. They would make numerous anonymous donations to people in need, charities and NGOs; splitting the dirty money and making good things happen with it. They were known as some kind of guardians and even vigilantes in the hacker world, always looking for the next heist, always looking to right a wrong.

A few months after they all graduated, specifically Chuck, from M.I.T they felt like they needed a change of scenery. Cooper wanted to expand business, and he knew that they would be able to do that and more in California. So they packed their things and rented a large loft for themselves. The loft was located in an old steal factory that was converted into apartments in the late 90s. It was close to downtown but in an area that didn't have much traffic besides a supermarket a couple minutes away. The area had an edgy vibe, and young artists seemed to enjoy the neighborhood. No one would suspect why they wanted to rent a loft there – it was the perfect cover – they blended in like no one else. It was excellent for them. While the boys decided it was the ideal place to crash and still work, Felicity didn't feel like living with three guys and wished to branch out a little. And so she rented a small apartment a few blocks from theirs.

They had been living in California for 6 months when someone tried to breach the firewall that Felicity had designed. The system had been one of her best creations, and all hell broke loose when Cooper realized they had been hacked. While the self appointed leader of The Raiders seemed to be calm and self-controlled on a daily basis, he also had an explosive personality and he hated to lose control. He wanted all of them to be in on finding out what the hell happened with Felicity's beautifully coded and impenetrable system. When the dust had settled and they'd figured it out they were all surprised at what they found. This is how 17-year-old Sin came into their lives.

Cindy 'Sin' Johnson was a wayward youth that had the broken look in her eyes that Felicity knew oh too well. So Felicity did the only thing she possibly could do, she brought the young girl into their lives. Sin was a foster child, running from a broken system and with more scars on her young soul than anyone should ever have. And what really brought Felicity in is that she was bright with a smart mouth and a sarcastic remark to everything you could possible say. She became the younger sister that Felicity never had and her roommate.

Sin fit perfectly with The Raiders, and so, she joined their quest to do justice with their own hands.

By that time they had been hacking into companies that laundered or embezzled money, as well as insurance companies that refused to pay their clients. One special time they'd even hacked into a construction company that took their clients' money and didn't finish the work. The list would go on and on. They had helped a lot of people in California, but with time the heists became bigger and more dangerous, and Felicity knew they were walking a fine line into dangerous territory. Cooper realized that they could get real money from the worst kind of people – criminals. So their search to find justice shifted to find any kind of breach into their systems. It took months, but finally they found a breach in one of the most powerful crime organizations in California and in the U.S. – The Triad.

The Chinese organization dealt with drug and gun trafficking, prostitution, and was responsible for hundreds of murders in the past twenty years. They had connections in the police and in the government. And while Cooper saw himself as untouchable and the Triad an easy chance for them to give back to the people that the mob hurt, Felicity knew the risks had gotten way too high. It was one thing to steal from dirty companies, politicians and even banks, but the mob wasn't a risk she was willing to take.

"Cooper, this is a mistake," Felicity begged, trying to change his mind when they gathered at the loft.

"What's the matter, Smoak? Are you afraid?" Cooper teased a small smirk on his lips.

"Yes, and so should you. All of you should be," Felicity said, crossing her arms against her chest. Chuck, Rory and Sin looked on with worry in their eyes.

"We can do it," Cooper insisted, "This could be the big one Felicity. The one to change everything."

"Maybe Felicity is right, Coop. It's not a random heist, this is the mob," Chuck said, pushing his thick glasses up on his nose, clearly nervous.

"So? What's the difference between this job and any other that we have done in the past five years? Think about how many people we can help with this money," Cooper said as he looked at all of them.

"Cooper, if something goes wrong…there's no negotiating with these people," Rory said, looking down at his tapping dirty converses.

"They won't find out." Cooper said with a role of his eyes, confident that everything would be ok.

"How do you know? How can you be absolutely sure about it? They can have a super system protecting their accounts. They can have a team of hackers just waiting for someone to try to breach them. You need to think this through, Cooper." Felicity argued. They were close to doing something life changing and she wasn't sure if she was ready for this.

"I did think this through," Cooper said as he started to pace," I have studied their transactions, and you know their systems, Felicity. We've been researching all about them. The algorithm that you and Sin wrote will crack any firewalls that they might have. Chuck and Rory can overload their systems while I set a virus that will remove small amounts of money. It will be so quick that it'll take months for them to realize that there ever was a breach in their system. It will work!"

"When you say it like that it doesn't sound so bad," Sin said with a shrug, receiving a glare from Felicity, "What?"

"We can do it if we work together," Cooper said, finally stopping his pacing, "We're a team. We've always fought together through all of our battles. I've always been able to count on each one of you. Don't leave me now."

Chuck and Rory exchange glances before nodding in agreement. Felicity felt her shoulders sad. Cooper had won again on something that she felt was wrong.

"Let's do it," Chuck and Rory said.

"Come on, Felicity. What do you say?" Cooper asked when he turned to her. She was the last one left and Felicity wanted nothing more than to punch that stupid grin off his face. He'd cornered her without her even realizing it.

"It's not like you left me any other choice," she fumed, "I can't let you guys get caught. But if I see anything that can lead back to us, I am shutting us down. Do you understand me Cooper?" She wouldn't put them in any more risk for what she now suspected was Cooper's need to be greedy. Maybe it was time for them to rethink this partnership.

A few weeks later, after studying every possible breach and crack into Triad's system, they pulled the heist. It was quick like Cooper promised her it would be, and Felicity made sure to cover all their tracks, protecting them in every possible way. They managed to grab a whopping 3 million dollars. A small part of the money was split between them as always and placed in off shore accounts. The larger part was donated to different charity organizations and a few research programs, all anonymously of course.

Weeks passed by and no one came after them. Felicity doubt's only grew stronger after the heist and she started to question if Cooper was still a hacktivist, if he still cared about being a hero, about helping people in need… or if he just wanted the money. While they lived simple lives, to not attract too much attention to themselves, their offshore accounts were growing and Felicity knew she had enough to live a comfortable life. She wondered if she made the right decision joining Cooper on his crusade.

The success of the heist made Cooper even more confident, and he had honed in on another criminal organization, the Russian mob also known as the Bratva. To appease Felicity and her growing mistrust in him he gave her the reins. He told her it was up to her if they did this. Taking in the eager faces of her friends she threw herself into research. If they were going to this then she wanted to be even more ready than when they stole from the Triad.

What she found surprised her.

If you knew where to look, like she did, the signs were right there and pointing to one person. Oliver Queen. The first time Felicity saw Oliver Queen's face pop up in her Bratva research she had to pause. She couldn't understand how this man could be the leader of the American branch of Bratva. She couldn't understand how all the evidence she collected pointed to him. He was the CEO of one of the most influential companies in the U.S.; he did charity work and he donated to rebuild and better the impoverished parts of his town called 'the Glades'. This couldn't be the Captain of such a big but quite new branch of Bratva. Yet he was. The mysterious death of his family, his disappearance and absence in Russia, his return, and most notably the decrease of Triad and Italian mafia dealings in the area all surrounded him.

He confused her.

When Cooper asked her if she was ready and satisfied with what she had found she had lied. She hated mysteries and somehow Oliver Queen was one. She wouldn't let Cooper near him until she figured out the true mystery behind the suspected Bratva Captain known as The Crow and if it was safe to do to him what they had done to the Triad.

* * *

The night that changed it all started like any other. Chuck and Rory were arguing about who shot first, Hans or Greedo. Sin was schooling a group of newbies on some online first person shooter game. And someone was set to cook tonight. It was Felicity and Cooper's turn to make dinner so they headed down to the supermarket a couple streets over to grab some stuff.

"Did you get the mint chocolate chip?" Felicity asked as she dug into her pockets for her key, her arms full of food.

Cooper gave a small huff and brandished a bag, "It's right in here. Don't freak out."

Felicity rolled her eyes as she found her keys and opened the door, "Not freaking out. I never freak out over ice cream."

"You do when it's 'that' ice cream. Remember finals during second year?" Cooper countered. He held the door open with a foot and they entered the apartment.

Felicity gasped, "You said you would never mention that again. It was finals. Ice cream was essential for survival! No ice cream = failed exams and me crying."

"And no one wants that," Cooper mumbled as they reached the kitchen and placed their bags on the counter.

She couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of her. This light moment between them rare, "Jerk."

"Bitch."

Felicity looked up in shock and Cooper bolted. She called after him in annoyance, "Just because we started watching Supernatural doesn't mean you can call me that!"

She heard his responding laugh down the hallway. He was probably checking in on the rest of the group. Grumbling how she was going to kick his ass later she began putting things away in the kitchen. She was just putting away the flour in the pantry when her foot slipped on something. Felicity barely had time to grasp the wall and prevent herself from tumbling over. When she righted herself she tilted her head in confusion. Across from her was a smashed bowl, the remnants of Rory's favorite cereal and soymilk spread around it on the floor. Walking over to it she frowned. Why would this be here and why…

Her inner thoughts were interrupted when she heard a crash from the living room where Cooper was. She looked up just in time to see Cooper crash into the wall at the end of the hall. His eyes were wide and there was a slash across his stomach, a growing patch of red forming there.

Felicity stood there in shock as Cooper began limping towards her. The perfect word to describe the look on his face was…fear.

"Run!"

She took a small step back. What was happening? He was half way to her when she realized that the apartment was quiet. She couldn't hear Rory's chatter or Sin's trash talking, Chase wasn't at his computer station at the end of the hall. Behind Cooper's limping form Felicity saw someone step out from the living room. It was a white haired Asian woman with a curved blade in her hand. She stopped at the entrance as she watched them. She had about two seconds to take in and realize that the cold look on her face was nothing in comparison to the eerie feeling that she felt wash over her at the sight of the blood splattered on her face and clothes.

Cooper's blood.

"Cooper what's happening? Who is she?" she asked in a desperate whisper as Cooper reached her and tugged her backwards.

The white haired woman gave her a full smile, teeth seeming to shine as she slowly sauntered towards them, "Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you little girl."

A shudder went through her before Cooper again roughly yanked her backwards, effectively breaking her out of whatever spell of shock and disbelief she was under. She spun on her heel and helped Cooper run. They had to get out.

The woman laughed as they kept moving, "You can't run!"

She kept close to Cooper in their mad scramble to get away from the woman; Cooper's limp disappearing as he pushed through the pain. She was so focused on getting out that she followed Cooper's lead instinctively and jumped over something that lay across the threshold to the bedroom where the fire escape was. It was as they entered the room and Felicity looked back that she caught sight of what she had jumped over. It was Sin. Her head twisted to the side in an unnatural way. Eyes vacant as if she was looking right through Felicity.

Cooper slammed the door closed and locked it. Not two seconds later the door handle moved.

"Open up," the woman singsonged.

"She's blocked the front door. Fire escapes the only way out. Go!" Cooper shouted before a small piercing sound echoed out, his body jolting at every hit; painting Felicity's face and shirt red. The white haired woman was shooting through the door at them.

"GO!" RUN!"

Cooper's thundering boom of a voice made it so that Felicity jumped as she scrambled to open the window and hop onto the fire escape. Felicity bolted down the escape when the door groaned and slammed open; Cooper yelling out before another thump was heard.

She didn't even know what she was doing as she scored five floors and landed roughly on the cold hard sidewalk. The weight of the ever present bag on her back sent her into the side of the building and scraped her hands. But she didn't let that stop her. She was a mess of struggling and uncoordinated limbs as she desperately pulled herself up and ran off into the night.

Away from the white haired woman.

Away from the bodies of her friends.

* * *

Felicity felt her heart hammer against her chest, threatening to break through. She couldn't breath. As her trembling hands fiddled with the lock of the door she realized she needed to get out of the hotel hall before she collapsed. She'd stopped about a block away and cleaned her face and hands of the blood but the spooked look on her face would make anyone pause. She shot inside when it opened, her hands struggling for the lock and chain as the door shut behind her. It wasn't much but it was something.

Felicity closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had just escaped a killer in her apartment, seen the dead body of one of her only friends, locked herself in a room with Cooper and seen Cooper shot right in front of her; his blood on her face and shirt. Her mind couldn't help supplying that he was dead by now. They were all dead.

She tried not to picture Sin's empty gaze as she made sure the window was locked and the curtains drawn. Drawing a chair up she wedged it under the doorknob before surveying the room. Cheap, quick, and efficient. She kept silent as she tore the cover off the bed and walked to the bathroom. She gave the bathroom door the same treatment before draping the cover over the inside of the tub. Stepping in she brought her backpack to her chest.

She was trembling. Her hands gripping her bag as if it were a lifeline. No sound could be heard in the cheap motel room besides her quick breaths. If she didn't stop herself soon she'd go into a full-blown panic attack and black out. Her eyes watered as she looked down at her bag.

'The spilled cereal and milk. The broken bowl.'

A sob erupted from her throat and she squeezed her eyes tight. She was close to teetering over the edge. She tried to gulp in air as she tucked her face into the top of her bag. They were only supposed to be gone for 15 minutes tops. Just grabbing some essentials for dinner. They were going to have Italian tonight. It couldn't have been enough time for the white haired woman to do that. To kill them.

Sin's empty gaze popped up again and Felicity curled into her self. Somehow it had been enough time.

"They're dead."

Her voice felt wrong in the steady silence of the hotel room. Too loud. Pressing a hand to her chest she stopped herself from crying out as tears spilled down her cheeks. Her heart still beating fast but not as fast as before. Noise felt wrong when it didn't have the constant chatter of Chuck in the background, Rory clicking away, Sin complaining about running out of her favorite cereal, Cooper across from her, both working in silent companionship as they looked to steal from the rich to give to the poor. And she had just ran, had left Cooper there even though he had yelled at her to go. In the apartment she had just frozen, even when Cooper pulled at her…she'd frozen. Maybe if she were faster he would still be alive. He'd still be ok. But she didn't and now he was dead.

Turning her head she pressed her face against her bag and pressed her back against the tub wall. The people she cared about were ripped from her just as she had finally come to a place where she thought of them as family, a place where she could serve justice and help those in need.

She was alone again.

* * *

She spent three hours curled up on her side in that tub. She allowed herself to cry, to mourn, and to feel it all. She stared at the lose of her life in the face because she knew that after that third hour it would stop. She would push it aside and lock it up because fear and tears had no place in what she had to do next.

Third hour mark hit and she locked it up. Eyes hardening and shoulders pulled back, she sat up and got to work. Laptop out she piggybacked on the Wi-Fi connection off the pawnshop next door.

Step 1: Check the surrounding area.

By her estimate she had been running for about an hour. Too scared to even take the bus or take a major street to get to this side of town; a place she hoped they wouldn't look. Logging into the surrounding cameras she checked the streets and the hotel. They were clear. Satisfied that she was safe for the moment she moved on to step two.

Step 2: Figure out what happened.

It was an easy switch to the cameras around her apartment building. Back tracking she watched herself leaving the building, Cooper by her side. About ten minutes later, when she was pretty sure Cooper and her were paying, a car pulled up across the street. Felicity knew it was her instantly. Her feelings began trembling inside of her, tearing at her walls and threatening to break through. Sitting up straight she bashed them down into the deepest part of her. Not now.

She watched as the lone white haired woman crossed the street and entered her building. She wanted to punch out at the woman in the screen; hurt her. She looked in charge. Not afraid or even bothered that she was about to take the lives of four innocent people.

A couple minutes later she spotted herself returning with Cooper, their arms weighed down by the food they'd planned to make; not aware of the danger they were walking into. She couldn't take it anymore. Felicity pressed forward and stopped when she caught herself in the distance. She had just jumped off the fire escape and was moving fast and was gone in seconds.

Gripping tightly to her control she tried not recollecting the feelings she felt as her feet hit the ground and she bolted into the night. The white haired woman wasn't far behind in exiting the building but she'd lost Felicity. It was evident by the frustrated shake of her head and how she started yelling at someone on her phone.

Curious.

Not a half an hour later a van pulled up and joined the white haired woman inside the apartment. Over two hours later she watched as they carted out a couple trashcans before loading them into the car. They all disappeared off into the night without a look back. Felicity needed to look inside. Logging onto Chuck's computer was be the best option since it had a view of the hall where Sin's body was, where they could see the open door where the white haired woman had shot Cooper.

Dread filled her when the camera came online. She'd seen movies and knew what this looked like. Her apartment was pristine, not a speck of blood, a brand new door with no bullet holes, and…no body on the ground by the door. She paused her typing when she realized that her friends were in those bins. She'd never really know what happened because someone had taken them out as if they were garbage. They'd fallen into something dangerous, something that they had underestimated. And Chuck, Rory, and Sin had payed that price. Cooper had paid it for her.

She felt cold. Like something had replaced the light inside of her from earlier on in the night with a dying ember. Only a couple small sparks of fire keeping her going. Because that's what she needed to focus on with all her might: to keep going. Palming the side of her neck she continued.

Step 3: Figure out who was responsible.

The white haired wasn't normal. Her look was too on point and her mannerisms suggested authority. Her cronies suggested organization. And their ethnicity spoke of Triad. The people they just stolen money from. Letting out a small curse she ran the woman description through police records. Her gut had been right. Going after Triad, no matter how noble Cooper made it sound, was too close to home. To close to danger. Everything that happened tonight was proof of it.

A small beep signaled a match and she was staring at the face of…China White. She felt as if something had clamped around her throat as she took in the white haired woman. She wasn't just any member of Triad. Someone sent out to clean things up when things got messy or when a group of five hackers decided to steal from them. This woman was suspected of being the leader of the North American branch of the Triad. She had multiple counts in her rap sheet but nothing that stuck, nothing to keep her in jail more than a couple days. One thing was clear though; all her suspected connections were violent killings or the disappearance of people. Like her friends tonight.

She held off the bile that had risen in her throat and pressed on.

Step 4: What she was going to do about it.

They were looking for her, that she was sure of. And from the way that Cooper limped towards her with that panicked face, she knew that her friends hadn't had an easy death. Cooper was probably dead right now too. And if not for Cooper…she would have been dead too; rolled out in one of those bins to just disappear into the night. That right there wasn't fair. Cooper, Chuck and Rory had families. Small ones but they were there. And because of what they had done, their families would never know the truth. They would just think that they disappeared off into the night. Felicity thought of Sin again. She had once told Felicity that she had no family worth remembering, that they were her family now. And because of what happened tonight no one would mourn her except Felicity. She couldn't even go to the police. After everything they had done online and the clean up at the apartment, there would be nothing to find.

Pressing her curled hands against the side of her head in frustration she tried to figure it out, "Think. What do I do now that I'm alone? What do I do when I can't find my way out? What do I do because my enemy is coming and she won't be far behind?"

It was as if the words appeared in her mind all of a sudden, the familiar words Sin had spoken to her once in jest while playing a game where she had turned the tables by joining the opposite side, thus winning the game.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

She blinked and looked up in surprise as her mind started to piece together something.

"The enemy."

Felicity had no enemy right now besides Triad, who was probably hunting her down now with a vengeance. But Triad had enemies, plenty of them. And the most notorious was the man that had surprised her weeks ago when she was canvassing their next hit. A couple keystrokes and she was staring at his face.

"Oliver Queen. The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

She could go to him.

This could work. He was only a couple hours away. She could…she could use the knowledge she had pieced together about him to help her find a way to seek justice for what they had done to her friends and stop them from killing her. She was almost certain that Triad was responsible for the death of Oliver Queen's loved ones and she needed him. Quite possibly more than he needed her but…she had to this. There was no other option that she could think of. No other avenue to take besides this man. He was the enemy of her enemy. And in doing so he was the closest thing to a friend or ally against the storm that was coming her way in the form of China White.

* * *

After coming to the conclusion that Oliver Queen was her only option she set about how she was going to get there. A coach bus seemed like the best option. She packed her bag again, grateful that she never went anywhere without her prized possessions, and waited until the sun began to set the following day. She hoped the cover of night would work in her favor at covering the blood splatter on her shirt and the haunted but determined look on her face.

The sound of Felicity's heavy combat boots against the wet concrete pavement were the only sounds in the empty street when she left the hotel. She walked quickly, looking back over her shoulder every few minutes, her heart jumping inside her chest at every small noise. Night was quickly approaching and as the cold wind blew, she heard the sound of a dark crow flying above her. Her eyes caught sight of it as it flew over to a building across the street.

Any other day and she would have just ignored it…now she thought that it was following her. A sign.

Tucking her shoulders up she pulled her backpack tighter against her back. A chill ran down her spine inside her leather jacket. She wasn't ready for this. Wasn't ready for being alone and tired. She didn't want to feel like this anymore. She thought she was done with this empty feeling inside of her. This feeling of everything being ripped away where she was the only one left.

She was wrong.

For most of her life she was invisible, hiding in shadows, just another face in the crowd. Ever since she was little she reasoned that if she were invisible no one would try to hurt her, judge her, or push her. Invisibility meant safety. And sadly, Felicity Smoak never knew any other way. That had all been shaken tonight.

To save her life and seek justice for her friends she would have to do this. Something frightening. Something new. Something where she would have to get close to a possible enemy to destroy another. She would have to journey alone to find The Crow.

* * *

**A/N: Hi guys! We hope you all have enjoyed the second chapter of The Crow and that you will take this journey with us! We are very excited for it!**

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	3. Help

**The Crow Chapter 3 – Help**

**Disclaimer: **We own nothing but our plot and our own characters. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to DC Comics and CW Television. All rights over this idea and its concepts belong to us. This work is intended for the private enjoyment of the reader and is not to be shared on any other sites (besides AO3 and FF) or events without our express permission.

* * *

**A/N: Hi everyone! We are so excited with the love you all have showed our new story! The support you guys show us, always blow us away! THANK YOU! * HUGS* We'd like to dedicate this chapter to Idyirish17. Hope all is well and that you keep on smiling!**

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**Music – Help by Hurts**

* * *

_I'm sick and tired of being afraid_

_If I cry anymore then my tears will wash me away_

_But when I hear you call my name_

_I whisper the world that I never thought I'd ever say_

_And I hope to guide you, listen_

_And you keep me safe from harm_

'_cause I found what I was missing_

_When I fell into your arms_

_And we cry away_

_I can feel the darkness coming_

_And I'm afraid of myself_

_Throw my pain and I got running_

'_cause I just need some help_

3 hours. 15 minutes. 7 seconds. That's how long it too her to get to Starling City. With her backpack firmly on her back she hopped off the bus and entered the bus depot. Even though she had a plan on what she wanted to do, it was the dead of the night and she didn't fancy spending the night in a storm drain. Instead she spent the hours between her arrival and morning, locked inside a out of order disabled toilet. When the sun rose she left the depot and hit a hardware store before hailing a cab. She couldn't waste anymore time.

This would work. She was sure of it. Getting a meeting with The Crow wasn't going to be something easy. She would have to do something bold, something grand, and something stupid. She would have to break into his house. If Sin were…if she were still alive she would tell Felicity that she was being stupid. The kind of stupid that gets you locked away. Then she would turn it around and tell her that Felicity had the 'biggest balls' she'd ever seen and that this plan would actually work to bring The Crow to her side.

Ok, back to her breaking into the Queen Mansion. There was no way that she was getting in through the front door. The guards wouldn't let her even up to the gate. And going over the high wall around the property was a no go because of cameras and the fact that Felicity had never learned to climb trees. That left her with only one option, going under.

From what she had gathered in those hours of examining blueprints in the out of order toilet is that even the Queen Mansion had a storm drain. In fact the entire neighborhood where the mansion lay had its own extensive storm drain system that was behind a set of electric locks and doors. Getting past the doors would be no problem. It's the trapezing through the storm drains that got her.

When the cab dropped her off she slinked her way through the neighborhood and came to the electronic locks and doors. After tucking her pants legs into her boots she started her way through the slim storm drains with a flashlight in hand. She had memorized the way through and knew that it would take her an hour tops to get to the Queen Mansion. The storm drain was pitch black, cold and damp. The walls were dripping and the water level by her feet started to rise a couple inches by the time that she got to the half hour mark. It was a clear sign that it had started to rain up above. When the hour mark hit she was walking through at least a foot of water and chilled to the bone.

"Finally."

Every now and then she would see small pinpoints of light, signaling manholes and a way to the street above. She had finally reached the one she had been looking for, the storm drain to the Queen Mansion. Climbing up the ladder she reached the top and listened before pushing up with all her strength. When it gave way she crawled through and was surprised to see that the room she was in looked unused, old, covered with dust and dirt.

"Probably forgot about this part of the mansion."

She was in the old garden house on the north side of the property. They had probably forgotten that there was a manhole here when they built a new and larger garden house on the west side of the house. Leaving it partially open, in case of the need for a swift escape, she hacked into the wireless network. The signal was strong despite the storm brewing outside and the distance from the main house. She was shocked at what she saw.

"Ohhh this hurts my soul."

QC had a top of the line security system, she'd checked. But in comparison to the thing she was looking at now it was a throw back from the 80's. Ancient, outdated, and in need of a tune up. She had expected the Bratva captain to know better and to secure his home with something top of the line, not something where she could track the guards through the network they had set up and link up to the distribution transformer just on the edge of the property.

This is how she was going to get in. Using his system against him she would gain access to the blank space he had on the blueprints she had accessed earlier. That was the spot that she wanted to be in. Because when she did what she was planning he would run to this area. She was sure of it.

Transferring her program over to her phone she packed her things away and waited by the door, thumb over the button that would start it all, as she waited for her moment. She'd be able to get to the main building with no interruption from the guards as long as she was swift and quiet while her program worked its way through disabling his perimeter and home alarms. She hopped in place for a second and pulled her shoulders back, shaking off any remnants of the doubt that nipped at her.

She was alone again. Her back pressed against a wall with China White, no doubt, not far behind. And by her estimates she had been on the run/hiding for over 24 hours. The Crow and enemy of Triad was her lifeline that she was ready to grab a hold of it.

She pressed the button and ran.

* * *

Oliver Queen wasn't known as a patient man. He knew how short life could be, and so he didn't see the point of waiting to get whatever he desired. He was like this in all matters of his life. If he wanted to own something – he would simply buy it. If he wanted to have a certain woman – he would simply seduce her. If he wanted someone dead – he would simply order them to be killed. In his mind life was simple and there was no reason to try to complicate it. He believed in instant gratification. However, the thing he desired the most, was the only thing he had to patiently wait for. His revenge.

"So are you saying that our inside source is dead?" Oliver snapped at Diggle, while pouring himself a large glass of scotch.

"His body was found by SCPD this morning," Diggle simply said, already used to this kind of outburst from Oliver.

"So you think China White knows we are after them actively?" Oliver said, looking through the large windows of his office – the only place besides his bedroom that he knew was safe to discuss matters such as this – watching the storm outside, the drink still in his hand.

"Not necessarily. There was no reason for her to believe so. I suspect she must have caught him leaking information, probably to the Feds. After all, why would Bratva come after the Triad leader," Diggle replied calmly as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"Another dead end," Oliver murmured, the death of their inside source leaning a bitter taste in his mouth.

"We knew it wouldn't be easy Oliver. We are already running a huge risk here. There's no reason to do anything reckless," Diggle's voice held a slight warning tone to it, "We will find a way. You just have to be patient."

"I've been waiting for over twenty years, Diggle. How much longer do you think I can take?" Oliver spit out. Before Diggle could reply, the room was immersed in darkness.

Oliver felt his body tense as he looked around quickly. Diggle pulled out two small flashlights and handed one over to Oliver. John flashed it throughout the room as he tried to contact the perimeter guard.

"The storm must have cut the power off," Diggle said, opening the door slightly, looking for any signs of electricity, as Oliver peered outside. Everything was dark, "The generator will kick in soon."

A hum was heard before a flash of light and explosion happened at the edge of the mansion property. The windows shook.

"That was not thunder," Oliver whispered, hand instantly going to the gun in his suit holster. He pulled it out and took the safety off.

A static noise came from Diggle's radio, a voice finally coming through, "Diggle? Heading to bunker."

"Harper, meeting you there. Let's go Oliver," Diggle said into his radio as he and Oliver rushed through the mansion, guns in place. Half of the guards used flashlights to lighten the path while the rest moved out to secure the perimeter. The Captain needed to be safe. That was their mission and they were ready to die for him.

They rushed towards the large library where the bunker's secret entrance was situated.

Roy Harper opened the library door when they reached it. All were on point as they kept an eye out, looking through every corner of the large dark room, guns ready to fire at any threat. They cleared each room of the library as they made their way to the small office at the far end. What they didn't expect was to find someone waiting for them there.

"You! Stop right there!" Diggle shouted, his gun aiming at the dark figure that was lurking in the corner of the library office, as he and Roy stood in front of Oliver. Their flashlights caught sight of the intruder as they raised their hands and took a small step forward. All three were surprised when the intruder lifted its head and revealed a slim dirty woman, covered in mud and dripping wet.

"I come in peace!" a feminine voice shouted, raising her arms higher in total surrender.

"Who are you?" Diggle barked, both he and Roy aiming their guns at the woman's chest. They wouldn't hesitate in putting her down if they had to. Oliver kept the grip on his gun steady as he took in the shivering woman. She didn't look crazy even though she had to be for breaking into his home.

"I'm someone that needs help," she said, her voice slightly trembling. When none answered she tried again, "I mean no harm."

"Clearly," Roy chuckled at her choice of words. The woman was crazy if she thought that she could get away from invading Oliver's Queen home and spout out words like that.

"Please," she begged, an edge in her voice as she squinted at them, the light still in her eyes, "I need your help."

"Who the hell are you?" Oliver's hard voice finally asked. "How did you get in here?" he spit out, his voice filled with venom as he stepped out from behind Roy. The sight of him approaching with his gun at the ready and his harsh voice made the woman gulp, more than the cold causing her to shake.

"My name is Felicity. I…I told you…I need your help," Felicity repeated as Oliver's body blocked the light, letting her get her first real look at him. Oliver's cold gaze kept her shaken but slightly determined one.

"And what gave you the impression that I would help someone that has invaded my home?" he growled out.

"There was no other way," she snapped lightly, his anger starting to be contagious. The power came back on and filled the room with light.

With the lights on Oliver could actually look at the intruder. The young woman had jet-black hair, dirty clothes and ruined make up clouding her eyes. Her hands were still raised up while her body trembled slightly. She looked scared but her eyes looked determined.

"I don't know who you are. But I assure you, you've picked the wrong house to mess around with," Oliver said coldly as she took a deep breathe. Something in her posture changed after it.

"I know exactly what I'm doing here Mr. Queen," she said defiantly, her hands coming down and resting on her hips.

"And what exactly is that?" he asked her, his tone daring her to try to keep playing this game. This woman broke into his house and he didn't have time for her wishes. What he really wanted to know is how she'd gotten in.

"I'm here to speak with The Crow," she sneered as she glared at him. And for a second, Oliver almost couldn't believe the girl's audacity. Almost.

"You shouldn't talk about things you have no idea about little girl," Oliver threatened. Her using his Bratva name changed everything. This wasn't an attack on Oliver Queen. The comment seemed to make Felicity bristle.

"Then I guess it's good that I know all about it then," she barked, a fire burning in her eyes. She was a woman with a mission and she wouldn't back off, even if Oliver Queen were coming off as more of an asshole than she expected.

"If you know as much as you claim then what is stopping me from ordering my men to put a bullet in your brain?" Oliver asked coldly, and Felicity didn't know why she was even remotely surprised with his detachment. She should have known better than this. She knew how The Crow got here.

"Curiosity," she simply answered, trying to look as brave as she sounded. She was trembling and quite frankly terrified. Oliver Queen wasn't the kind of man you should mess with but she had no other choice.

"Really?" Oliver asked, a fake smile painted on his lips. He was amused at her gall.

She pinned him with a pointed look, "Curiosity and the fact that I can give you the only thing that you desire but can't have."

"And what is that?" Oliver asked her as he slowly took off the safety from his gun. Her eyes followed his movement, filling her with fear.

Squaring her shoulders she pulled at the courage left in her, "Revenge against the ones that took your family away from you."

"You have no idea what you're talking about!" Oliver snapped angrily, his control slipping for a second.

Felicity pushed forward, "I know that your entire family was murdered right in front of your eyes when you were ten years old. I know that you have spent the last 20 years thinking about it. I know since becoming the Bratva Captain you've tried to get the revenge you so desperately want. But most important I know you haven't had any success despite your many attempts."

"Shut up," Oliver warned as he lowered his gun and marched towards her. He stopped so close that she could practically feel the heat irradiating from his body, "I should kill you for even daring say this to me."

"Oliver," Diggle said, making Oliver take a step back as he regained his slipping control.

"Get her out of my sight," Oliver barked as he kept a watch on her, "I don't have time for you or the things you 'think' you know."

Roy walked up to Felicity and grabbed her arm. She ground her feet and tried to set herself free in a desperate last attempt to make Oliver listen to her as he turned away.

"Think I know? I don't just 'think' I know! I know you are looking for a way to make China White pay. I know The Triad ruined your life and you have spent the past two decades obsessed over it. I know you can't do anything, not when there is such a delicate balance between the Triad and Bratva. I know you are forbidden on acting on it," Felicity shouted, laying all her cards down as Oliver slowly turned around to look at her, Roy's grip loosening on her arm, "I know how it has been killing you inside. How its been consuming you to the point where you aren't sure if there's nothing else left besides the desire to see the light fading from her eyes as she takes her last breathe. That's what I know."

"And how would you know that, Fe-li-city?!" Oliver asked as he rushed to her side, tightly grabbing her other arm as Roy took a step back.

"Because China White killed my family too! And I'm going to make her pay, with or without your help! I won't rest till I see that bitch burn for what she did to my family!" Felicity said as she broke from his hold, her eyes burning, anger and hatred filling her blue irises.

They both watched each other, chests heaving as they glared at each other.

"_Harper!" _Oliver shouted, without any regard to the fact that he was yelling in Felicity's face. She someone upped her glare.

"_Yes, Captain?" _Roy replied in Russian.

"_Take her to one of the guest rooms and make sure Lance keeps an eye on her. She's filthy," _Oliver said, his face scrunching up in disgust as he looked down at her ripped jeans and combat boots before landing on her dripping hair. From the way she reeled back he knew that she understood the judging look.

"_Yes, sir," _Roy answered, grabbing Felicity once more by the arm and taking her away.

"Hey! Let me go!" Felicity fought in vain against the tight grip on her arm as she stumbled to the door. She looked back at Oliver, "Where is he taking me?"

"You're filthy and ruining my carpet," Oliver said simply as he walked to a side table and poured himself a drink. He found pleasure in the way she bristled and tried in vain to fight against the grip on her arm.

* * *

It was a whirlwind as Roy dragged her down the hallways of the Queen Mansion with no regard to the fact that she was having trouble keeping up. He didn't answer her questions or take in her protests as they reached a door and he pushed her inside. She heard a click as she pounded at the door.

"Hey, let me out!" Felicity shouted to no avail. When no one answered and the door didn't give in she let her head hang, "Damn it!"

This wasn't going like she expected.

Slamming her fist against the door one more time she looked around at the expensive looking room. It looked like a 4 star hotel, or what she imagined a 4 star hotel looked like. Depositing her bag on the bed she wondered what the heck she was supposed to do now and what The Crow would do to her when he returned.

She heard another click and turned just in time to see the door open and a robe being thrown at her by a blonde woman.

"Mr. Queen isn't a patient man. Wash yourself and don't take your time," she commanded before disappearing and locking the door behind her.

Felicity stared at the door in confusion before looking down at the brown robe in her hands. Barely 10 minutes into being in the mansion and she was already being asked to shower because she looked 'filthy'. She rubbed her temples as she made her way to the open door to her left where she could see the bathroom. A shower sounded good right now.

She ignored her reflection as she set the water and began to peel off her wet clothes. Oliver Queen wasn't what she expected. She wondered if she made a mistake for a brief moment before casting the thought aside. He was big and he was imposing but she had already gotten this far. She might as well keep on going.

Leaving her clothes and boots on the floor Felicity opened the shower door. A hiss escaped her lips as she stepped under the stream of water. The water was too hot. Lowering it a bit she let the water wash over the front of her body. She felt like the cold had sunk into her bones since she ran; in those streets, in that hotel, in that bus, in that storm drain. And for the first time in hours she felt herself thaw.

Cupping her hands she let the water pool there, the water a bit murky. Parting her hands she let it fall. She hadn't realized how dirty she got in that storm drain. The water by her feet was grey with hints of brown that trailed from her mud-covered calves. Ripping the cover off a soapbox on a shelf next to her she began to lather herself up. It threw her off how a simple soap bar could erase the signs of Cooper's blood on her chest, the mud on her legs, the grime on her hands. It was as if nothing had happened and she wasn't in the home of the infamous Bratva Captain The Crow after foolishly breaking into his home in an attempt to seek help.

Tilting her head back she ran a soapy hand over it. What had happened in the other room was almost the scariest thing she had ever done. In theory she had planned everything on the bus. She knew what she was going to do and where to go. But the last part…she felt like she winged it. That maybe she could have done better because it had been scary as hell. Looking into those blue eyes, challenging him, telling him that he wasn't good enough to get his revenge and that he needed her help to destroy China White. All of it was terrifying no matter how tough she tried to act.

Now all she could do is wait and see what he would do. What he would say.

Cooper's scared face came to mind and a shudder went through her even though the water had warmed her thoroughly. She had promised to lock her pain away, keep herself numb while she was here…but she couldn't help herself. She would never see them again so she would live for them despite the pain she felt; use their lose to strive to give them the justice they deserved. It had already brought her a great distance and with the help of The Crow she knew she could achieve it.

She set the soap down and began to wash off.

What she experienced in the library was just a taste of how things were going to change for her if The Crow allowed her to take this path with him. She was entering a life that wasn't gentle, kind or fair. She was entering a world of the wicked where if she didn't keep up she would be pulled down just like Chuck, Rory, Sin, and Cooper.

* * *

Felicity tied off the brown bathrobe that the mysterious blonde had thrown at her earlier. Her clothes were ruined, pooled down on the bathroom floor. She frowned as she wondered if there was any way to savage her favorite leather jacket and combat boots. Probably not.

As she looked over her reflection in the mirror she could barely recognize herself. Her dark hair was matted to her head, her makeup long gone, and her eyes red. She was paler and dark circles were forming under her eyes. She looked empty, a ghost of herself even though she felt better than she had in hours.

She couldn't stand looking at herself.

Taking a deep and somewhat relaxing breath, she tucked her hair behind her ears before opening the bathroom door. Her eyes zeroed in on the intruder sitting on the bed, Oliver Queen.

He was casually sitting down on the large bed, his suit jacket and tie long gone with his dress shirtsleeves rolled up. For the first time Felicity actually took a look at Oliver Queen. He was a severely handsome man that combined with his devil-may-care attitude and broken nature could bring all the girls and boys to the yard. And no matter how angry and intense he seemed he was a mystery. Felicity hated mysteries.

He must have heard her because he turned his body to her, his eyes boring into hers as if trying to figure her out while keeping his guard up. In many ways he was just like her. Her thoughts screeched to a halt when she realized what he had in his hands.

She lost it.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she shouted, rushing towards the bed and packing her things back into her bag. Her entire life was on display for him on that bed and she had no idea how long he had been there, how much he had seen.

"Trying to figure out the mystery of Felicity Meghan Smoak," he shot back in a husky voice; holding up her ID.

"You had no right to go through my stuff!" she roared, not caring that she was in his home as his guest/intruder and that he knew her full name. He'd probably sent out his lousy security system to look her up.

"Just like you didn't have a right to invade my home. Yet, here you are," he said coldly, throwing her ID onto the bed. Felicity snatched it up and put it inside her bag. "Now, how did you get inside the mansion?" he asked her, wondering who was to blame. The Queen Mansion was supposed to be the safest place in Starling City, and yet a woman had slipped through.

"I…I hacked into the power grid," she answered as she checked her antique radio and faded copy of The Hobbit for damage. She packed them away when she knew they were ok.

"The power grid? The cities power grid?" he asked, trying to hide his surprise.

"Yes. I shut down this section for a few minutes by overloading the system with the press of a button. I cut off the power, your sensors and alarms, and had access to your guard locations. No offense, but your security system sucks. Any half decent hacker could get in," she rambled on as Oliver continued to watch her. There was curiosity in those hard eyes. She pressed her lips together to stop her rambling, "Anyway, I used a storm drain to get to the mansion. You've got a manhole in the old garden house on the other side of the property. You need to A) close off that entrance and B) not have a big blank space on the blueprints you submit to city hall. Doesn't take a genius to figure out that your safe room is there. Knew you were coming there so I waited near by for you to find me."

She bit her lip to contain her rambling. She was seeking the Bratva Captain's help and here she was insulting him.

Oliver gave a hum, calculating eyes processing her words. He would have to tell John to check everything she was admitting to him, "Now that seems like a lot of work."

Placing her freshly packed bag back on the bed she chose her words carefully. This was where he was gauging if he'd help her, "It was worth it. I needed to get your attention and somehow I knew I wouldn't get your attention by coming to the front gate."

"So, what did the single daughter of a cocktail waitress from Las Vegas and a graduate in Computer Sciences from M.I.T, do to piss off China White? What could a girl like you do to get on what I assume is the Triad black list?" Oliver asked her, confirming her suspicions that he'd looked her up. He probably knew her security number by now.

"It's a long story," she said angrily as she grabbed her bag and moved to sit down in an armchair across the room.

"Please, Ms. Smoak. I have time," Oliver replied sarcastically as he leaned forward on his forearms. He was getting all the information that he needed to make his decision.

Shifting uncomfortably in the armchair she looked away from his ever present and quite frankly, infuriating stare of The Crow, "I…we…me and my friends, we're hackers. Or at least, we used to be. We were hacktivists."

He raised a brow, "Hacktivists?"

"We used to hack into the accounts and systems that belonged to the corrupt and take from them what they took from innocent people. We used to think we were helping people out. Helping make the world a better place. We only took from those that deserved it, giving it back to the poor and oppressed. With a couple key strokes we could serve out justice," she said, her words sounding recited and empty.

"How very Robin Hood of you," Oliver said coldly, clearly not impressed by her story. "So you decided to steal from the mob? From the Chinese mob? How stupid could you be?" Oliver snorted.

"Like the mob was innocent? The Triad is the pure definition of evil! They ruin people's lives! They murder, steal, and corrupt everything they touch! They got what they deserved," Felicity fumed, as Oliver stared at her with disdain.

"You have a very innocent definition of the world then Ms. Smoak. The world is not filled only with bad and good people. It's not black and white. There are endless shades of grey in between," Oliver told her, scratching his stubble as he watched Felicity.

"And who's saying that exactly? Oliver Queen - CEO or The Crow – Bratva Captain?" she challenged him, and Oliver didn't know if he wanted to smile or to show the dark haired woman how the world actually worked. She seemed to be in need of it.

"The world is a dark place Ms. Smoak. Filled with darkness and terror. The Triad is a part of it. Just like the Bratva is. And you and your friends got in the middle of very dangerous business. No one steals from us and walks away alive. You all should have known better. And now you've paid the price," Oliver said with such finality that she wanted to stalk across the room and punch him in the face. The fact that he still had his gun on him stopped her.

"They didn't deserve to die. Not like that. Not for stealing money from a monstrous criminal organization to give to people that they've hurt and that needed it more than they did!" Felicity shouted angrily. She took a deep breath before continuing, "They…they took their bodies. There will be no caskets, no funerals, and no final goodbyes. Their families will never know what happened to them. My friends deserved better than this!" For the first time since she left her hotel she felt the sting of hot tears behind her eyes. Yet, she didn't let then fall. She wouldn't cry in front of this man.

"And what exactly do you want me to say Ms. Smoak? That I'm sorry? The death of your friends means nothing to me. This is not Bratva business and it's not my business. You got yourself into this mess and Triad doesn't forgive."

"So this is it? This is all The Crow has to say?" Felicity shouted, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"You should be grateful that I listened to you at all," Oliver said, getting up from the bed, "And keeping you alive so long. Not many people can say they've had this privilege."

Felicity stood from the armchair. This was going badly, "If you don't help me I'm as good as dead. You know this."

"Again, Ms. Smoak, not my problem."

Leaving her bad there she approached him. "How can you even say that? After what that woman did to you!" she said before stopping right out of his reach, "To your family."

Oliver tensed where he stood. She was skirting around something she shouldn't and he was almost at his wits end. "Don't think you know shit about me just because you read it on a computer screen," Oliver said his posture and voice steady but threatening.

"I know enough about you. I know that you have been waiting for this chance. I know that you will spend the rest of your life waiting for it unless you have someone like me on your side. Let me help you!"

"Help me?" he said, a fake laugh escaping his lips, "How could you possibly help me? You already told me how you got in. That problem is solved. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into it. This is a very dangerous game you are playing here."

"I happen to be very good at this game, Mr. Queen. I'm very good at finding out people's secrets, things that they wouldn't want other people to know about and the places they hide them in. I won't stop till that woman is behind bars!" she shouted, not realizing how close she'd gotten to Oliver.

"You're delusional," he growled out, looking down at her.

"I find your lack of faith disturbing, Mr. Queen. No one is untouchable. I will find a way to bring her down. To bring the entire Triad down. I'm giving you a choice to help me and in turn get what you've always wanted!"

He grabbed her shoulders and gave a shake, "You have a lot of guts saying something like that. What makes you think that I won't just give you up to China White?"

"Because if there's someone that hates her as much as me, it's you!" she shouted as she pushed him away. They stared at each other, both livid and wondering how they could even work together.

Deep inside Oliver knew that he shouldn't even be listening to this woman. She was an uncontrollable variable and someone that might end up ruining all his plans. But he couldn't help the nagging feeling that somehow she was right. He had been trying to find a way to end China White, her father and The Triad for the past twenty years. And yet, nothing seemed to work. They were untouchable. And not only that, Anatoly had forbidden him from ever taking action against them. Their leader in Russia loved to remind him that his revenge was selfish, that a very delicate balance kept the civility between the Bratva, Triad and the Italians and that a war between the criminal organizations would lead to a blood bath. Maybe even the annihilation of all of them.

And here an opportunity stood. A woman who had lost her family and had turned to the enemy of her enemy for help.

Felicity pulled him from his thoughts as she began to pace lightly, "And let's be honest. The way that I got into your system. Easiest thing I've done in ages. Besides helping you with China White I can help you fix the holes in your security so 'little girls' like me don't hack in and take control like I did. This is worthwhile. This is worth a yes! This is worth trying to find a way to help each other."

"I don't know if I should think that you're bright or terribly stupid," Oliver smirked, watching as she stopped to throw him a glare. She had guts talking to him like this. It was proof that she was a wild card but maybe a useful one.

"So, what do you say? Do we work together to help destroy the people that have taken our families away or do we go our separate ways and keep on trying in vain? I have the hacking skills and you have the cash and a set of skills your own that can help us take them on. This can work," she rambled, ignoring his previous comment, "Do we have a deal, Captain?"

"If we do this, we're going to do it my own way," Oliver barked with authority. If he was going to take this risk he was going to make sure she knew who was in charge. By the nod she gave him, she understood.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Felicity agreed before offering her hand, nervous and excited inside. She was one step closer, "So, partners?"

Oliver stared at her hand for a few seconds. In another life handshakes meant trust and an understanding that both parties agreed. In Bratva such a handshake meant nothing as each turn was met with betrayal and doubt. This felt different. This slip of a woman was offering to help him with something dear to him for no other reason that she wanted justice for what happened to her family…just like he wanted for his. And for some inexplicable reason, he felt that maybe he could take the leap of faith that she was offering. Sure he still had control but maybe this partnership with Felicity Smoak could change everything. Maybe she would be the one to help him. Maybe he would find some justice and peace for him and his family. Just maybe.

Oliver took her hand, "Partners."

* * *

With a slim smile on his lips, Oliver removed his cellphone from his pants pockets and dialed a number. It rang for a few seconds, before someone on the other side of the line picked it up.

"_Sara, I need you to get some clothes for me. Yes, around your size. Just pick everything that you'd never wear. Hair dye as well…blonde. Her hairs black. Shoes too. All of them. Meet at the house and make it quick," _Oliver said into his phone before hanging up quickly, making Felicity wonder why he was speaking in Russian. She realized that she probably wasn't supposed to hear what he was saying.

"There," Oliver said, a strange pleased expression on his face.

"What?" she asked him, unsure.

"I just saved your life, Ms. Smoak. Now I've set you up for what comes next."

Her face scrunched up in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"We need to make some changes. China White knows what you look like but we don't know if she knows your identity or if she only tracked you to where you and your friends hacked her. Lets hope for the second option."

"So?"

"So, this means that she will be looking for a Goth, dark haired, hacker. We need you to be as far from that image as possible."

"You want me to change my hair?" she asked in surprise as her hand came up to her still damp hair. She'd forgotten that she only had a robe shielding her.

He fiddled with a lock of hair resting on her shoulder, "No, Ms. Smoak. I want you to change everything about you. The woman that you were is dead. If you want to survive, and to avenge your friends, you need to become someone else."

"I don't want to change who I am," she said with a frown, stepping back from his touch.

"Consider this your own witness protection program. If you want to live, if you want to work together, you will do what I say. I told you Ms. Smoak, we would play by my rules."

"Fine," she said, crossing her arms against her chest in frustration. She hadn't thought of this. No matter how much of a look China White had gotten of her as Felicity ran, she'd still gotten a glance.

"Excellent. Now come, I will show you your room," he walked the door and expected her to follow.

Felicity grabbed her bag and approached him cautiously, "My room?"

"The mansion is the safest place in Starling City – even with my crappy security system, as you said. I will take you to the west wing, you will be safe there," Oliver said as stepped towards the door. Felicity followed after.

"Wait!" Felicity shouted.

"What, Ms. Smoak?"

"I can't go out like this," Felicity said awkwardly, pulling the top of the robe closed. He gave her a once over and she held the backpack close to her chest.

"Why is that?"

"I can't walk around in a bathrobe," she hissed.

"Are you being modest, Ms. Smoak? I can clear the hallways if you like," Oliver mused, clearly making fun of her, which only made her angrier.

Before Felicity could reply with a scathing remark of her own, there was a knock at the door.

"_Come in,"_ Oliver said, his judging eyes never leaving Felicity's. Not surprisingly Felicity didn't back down.

"Mr. Queen, may I have a minute?" Diggle asked from the open door.

"I will be out in a second," Oliver said to Diggle, as Felicity watched the exchange with curiosity.

"You stay right here Ms. Smoak. I'll be back in a bit," Oliver said as Felicity nodded, still holding the robe tight as she sat on the bed.

Oliver walked out the door and closed it behind him. Diggle was waiting for him, his hands deep in his pockets and a wary look on his face.

"So, I guess you made your decision and chose to not kill the girl," Diggle whispered, trying to keep things as quiet as possible. There were eyes and ears even in this house.

"She got in here John. All by herself she got in, hacked into our security system and then made met us right in front of the bunker. Besides she made some valid points. You checked her out yourself, she's legit," Oliver said, his tone low and short.

"All we know is that she is who she say she is. She may not be FBI, CIA or Interpol, but it doesn't mean she isn't dangerous. Are you sure that she isn't one of Anatoly's spies? Another test?" Diggle asked, clearly worried.

"Trust me, that girl doesn't have a lying bone in her body," Oliver said as he thought of all the buttons he had pushed when speaking to her.

"No. She just messed with very dangerous people," Diggle said with a sigh, "Oliver, I want you to think this through. This is dangerous. If Anatoly finds out that she is wanted by Triad and that you have been hiding her – he will forget he is your uncle. You will be considered a traitor to the brotherhood. And you know how he deals with traitors."

"Diggle, he left me no other choice. All our attempts to get China White have failed. We've run out of options and out of time. That girl may be my last option. Besides, if we fail she's the perfect scapegoat. She'll take the fall and we will be protected," Oliver said with clenched hands.

"Well, I sure as hell hope she is worth the trouble. Because that girl," Diggle pointed at the door behind Oliver, "could be the end of both of us."

* * *

When Oliver walked back into the bedroom he found Felicity perched on the edge of the bed, her eyes scanning a small book, totally engrossed in it so she didn't even acknowledge his entrance. It was the yellowed copy of The Hobbit he'd seen in her bag earlier. He looked over the woman that came crashing into his life, wondering how far she was willing to go in this.

Another knock at the door interrupted him.

"_Yes?"_ Oliver asked, making Felicity look up at him.

"_Captain, I got the items you asked me to get,"_ a feminine voice replied in Russian.

"Come in, Sara," Oliver said, opening the door as Felicity looked on curiously.

Sara walked into the room, her steps firm and her head up high as she scanned the room, eyes holding on Felicity for a bit. She had a few bags in her hands and she didn't seem too pleased. Felicity recognized her as the blonde from earlier.

"Good. Now, would you help Ms. Smoak with all of this, Sara? We need to make some changes," Oliver said, finally letting Felicity understand what was happening and what that call earlier was all about.

"Yes, sir," Sara replied, her posture tense and her tone formal. She was another soldier for The Crow, Felicity was sure of it.

"Take her to the room in the west wing that has the view of the gardens. Ms. Smoak will be staying there from now on."

"Yes, sir." Sara replied, dumping the bags on the bed and unpacking.

Oliver walked over to the door and glanced at Felicity one more time, "I'll see you in a few Ms. Smoak."

* * *

Almost three hours passed before Sara called to say Felicity Smoak was ready.

He walked through the luxurious hallways, towards the area where five of the twelve bedrooms of the mansion sat. The large master bedroom that now belonged to Felicity was one of the most sophisticated and opulent rooms in the mansion, with its large windows, sleek furniture and dark floors. It had a fireplace and ample room for a separate sitting area. Not many knew that it used to be one of his mother's favorite rooms.

He stopped in front of the door for a second, wondering if he should knock first or simply walk him – after all, it was his house. He ended up knocking, thinking his mother would have liked him to have some manners.

"Come in," Felicity said from inside the room.

Oliver opened the door, only to find Sara putting away endless items and Felicity sitting down in a small bench under one of the large windows of the room. She was staring out at the sky, watching as the sky was painted in yellows and oranges, pushing the darkness of the night away. He couldn't help locking in on her fair hair.

It really had been a long day.

"_I thought you liked them brunettes,_" Sara teased in Russian. Felicity didn't acknowledge his entrance.

"_I like them any shape and form,"_ Oliver replied with a smirk. From what he could tell the woman sitting by the window wasn't the woman who walked through a storm drain to get into his library, _"Good job."_

"_It's been a long night. May I leave, now?" _Sara asked him.

Oliver nodded,_ "Go, you did good tonight. Tomorrow I will debrief you."_

"_Thank you, sir," _Sara said, walking out of the room and leaving Oliver and Felicity alone.

"You look good," Oliver said as he stepped forward. He ran his gaze up the pale skin of her legs that now were exposed in her short magenta dress and black heels that now adorned her feet; thin straps around her dainty ankles.

"This isn't who I am," she finally said, melancholy filling her voice. She turned to look at Oliver and he paused in walking towards her. She looked beautiful.

Her fingers were fumbling with a pair of glasses in her hands, "This is you now, Felicity. This will keep the Triad off your scent for a while."

Looking down at her hands she agreed with him, "I know." She understood why she had to do this. Didn't mean that she had to like it. She had fought against a change like this all her life. Hell, she had gotten into plenty of fights with her mother because of this. And now she sat here, feeling lost and like her independence had been stripped from her because she was now blonde and looked eerily like her mother.

She was surprised when Oliver came to sit on the opposite side of the bench, "Did Sara give you those?"

Felicity gave a nod as she slipped the glasses on. They felt odd on her face, "Yeah. She said it would help."

"They do. You don't look like the shaking and wet girl that most likely ruined my carpet," Oliver cut in. She shot him a look as he looked over her, "And your piercings?"

"All of them are gone except for this one," her hand came up to touch her ear, "Sara said I should ask you if it was ok to keep it?"

He glanced at her industrial piercing, "It's fine. You look brand new."

Felicity snorted, pushing her glasses back up, "I look like my mother. Mr. Queen…"

"Oliver," he corrected, "Call me Oliver. Once we discuss the terms of this agreement I'm pretty sure you'll be calling me by my first name."

"What?"

"I'm risking my life taking you on and keeping you safe. And if we're going to do this right addition measures have to be taken to make sure that the Bratva isn't implicated. Still interested Ms. Smoak?" he challenged. She actually rolled her eyes a bit without noticing.

"Of course. Till the last Triad member burns. And call me Felicity," she said as she turned her body to him, "Now what are the terms?"

He gave a slow and dangerous smile that made her shift in her seat. Both could feel the partnership beginning to cement, "Well Felicity. Now that your appearance has been changed let's talk about step two: house rules and fixing the mess you made of my system."

* * *

She rushed through the halls as fast as she could. She didn't want to bring attention to herself but she needed to make this call. What she had seen in the past couple hours didn't make sense. Three guards and four halls later she was in her room, door locked behind her.

Slipping her phone from her apron, Anya dialed a number quickly. It took a couple seconds for the other side to pick up.

"_Yes?"_

"_It's Anya. I think we have a problem."_

* * *

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	4. Courage Or The Fall

**The Crow Chapter 4 - Courage Or The Fall**

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* * *

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* * *

_Man wasn't made to live alone  
That's why I have my enemies  
Whenever I close my eyes  
They're all I can see  
Every man needs his saviour  
Every saviour needs his task  
But which one am I, the man or the one behind the mask?  
What comes first, the courage or the fall?_

_Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh_

_Is that a savior outside my window?  
Or is that a reflection of me?_

She wished she could settle into the room properly, finally have a small panic attack at her brazen entrance into the mansion, or go over and contemplate what the hell she was doing here and how she was really going to survive. Oliver gave her no such chance. He left the bench they'd been sitting on and moved to sit in an armchair, "If we're going to do this then there are some rules you're going to have to follow."

Felicity gave a nod and followed his lead at a slow place, not used to the heels on her feet. She sat on the edge of the bed. She felt more comfortable with her bag, her whole world, near her, "Ok so where do we start?"

He still had that dangerous look to him, "First off, you stay out of anything that you don't belong too."

"What?"

"You are here under special circumstances and because I allow you too. That means that we work on what was agreed. You don't meddle with any other Bratva business. Do you understand?"

She gave a little huff at the tone of his voice but agreed, "Yes."

"Secondly you need to trust my judgment when it comes to any matters in this partnership."

"Such as?"

"Such as safety. Where you can and can't go? Who you can speak too?"

"And the answers to that would be?"

He signaled to the room around them with a tilt of his head, "This wing is cut off from the rest of the house. No one allowed in it besides you and a couple people I trust. You are not to leave this wing without supervision and you are only allowed to speak or be escorted around by myself, John, Roy, or Sara."

She thought back to her first moments in the mansion, "Those were the two men in the library?"

"Yes. And the woman who," he pointed at all of her, "did all of this. Do not trust anyone else because I won't send anyone else. Understand?"

She nodded, cataloguing away the 'rules'. She needed this and wasn't planning on breaking them, "Crystal."

"Now let's get back to the mess you made of my system."

"I'll fix it," Felicity supplied, eyes lighting up at the thought of fixing the mansions poor and abused system. She wasn't lying when she said it was one of the easiest things she'd done in ages, "I'll fix everything I broke…well really infected. The program I had was a bit invasive when I activated it. Sticks to things like glue. Going to take a mighty tool to scrape it out. I'm going to need some special equipment to fix it and beef up your security."

Felicity looked down for a second in embarrassment. She hadn't rambled like that in a while. Oliver took it in stride, "Fine. Make a list and give it to Sara. She knows the most about computers in the circle of people I trust. She'll be watching you when you do the upgrades or mess around with any computer equipment. Including the phone and laptop that Sara confiscated earlier."

Felicity smoothed over the material of her dress, hiding her anger. She had been pissed when Sara had taken her equipment, saying that it needed to be checked for any additional malicious programs like the one she'd placed into the Queen security system. Now he was telling her that he was taking it a step further and would have her watched all the time? Being watched was going to be something extremely new, "Am I really going to be watched around the clock?"

He gave her a look as if she had to be kidding, "Yes. There will always be someone nearby keeping an eye out for you. This is for your safety and mine, Ms. Smoak. As much as we both deem this place safe, there are ears and mouths everywhere, waiting to take what's mine. Also I don't trust you."

Felicity wanted to tell him, 'Right back at you' but she held her tongue. She was starting to understand that The Crow liked to push buttons to keep people on edge. If they were going to be partners in this then she had to try to work around this, "Understandable. And I told you to call me Felicity. If we're going to be doing this. If I had to go and change who I am with this stupid new look to just stay here, then at least call me by my name."

He held her gaze. A man would have to be blind not to notice how refined and vibrant she looked, despite the frown on her face, "Felicity, I don't trust you. Better?"

She dared to roll her eyes under the guise of pushing her glasses up her nose, "Miles better. What else?"

He leaned a bit forward at this and his whole body seemed to tense as his face and eyes hardened, "What we're…getting into is dangerous territory, we both know it. You wouldn't have gone to the lengths you did if you didn't. You also know the kind of reputation I have…what I would do to you if I found out you were double crossing me."

He held up a hand as she went to protest.

"There's nothing you can say. Betray me and China White will be the least of your concerns. Understand?" he warned in a cold and promising voice.

Felicity sat back a little more, edging away from Oliver as much as she could without looking like she was afraid. The look he was giving her was…scary, "Yes. I understand."

Some of the hardness in his face and tension in his body seemed to fade as he sat back in the armchair, "You also need to be careful. Everything you do could potentially lead you and now me and mine, to China White. So anything you do in the house or in my system comes with a caution sign."

Felicity didn't plan on leading China White anywhere near her. In fact if given the time or if they found her old equipment, because it was probably taken by the Triad by now, she planned on figuring out how they'd found them. Until then she would be careful and bid her time.

She caught on to something he had left out, "What about outside? Am I going to be stuck here?"

"Until things calm down and I send some people out to check your story, this will be your home. Sara will bring you meals and supply you with anything you need."

"And if I need to see you?" she asked cautiously.

"Sara as well. Now do you have any rules of your own? Things I should know?" he said as if the words physically hurt him. He wanted the conversation to end so he could check out her story and what they were going to do next.

Felicity gave a shake of her head. She was pretty sure that she should be offended by the attitude in his voice but she was admittedly getting tired and wanted the 'rule' exchange to end as much as Oliver wanted too, "No. I…don't have anything. Well besides peanuts. I'm allergic so if…Sara's going to bring me meals, she should know. I understand where I am and what has to be done."

"Good," Oliver said as he stood and began to walk to the door, "Someone will bring you some dinner before bed."

Felicity watched him go. Besides not sleeping, eating was something she hadn't done since she ran. His hand was right on the door when she called out to him. He turned to look at her.

She had so many things she could say to him right now. How this was a crazy plan and how she was grateful that he had given a random girl that had broken into his house a chance. Or how she was grateful to have somewhere to weather this storm. She had a multitude of different things she could say to him. Instead she settled on something simple.

"Thank you."

His jaw clenched and he turned to the door once more, "Don't thank me yet. I'm risking my life taking you in. We've only just begun."

Then he was gone.

* * *

Her fingertips ran over the clothes, occasionally stopping to sometimes rub the fabric there between her fingers. This was all new, ridiculously new. It was something that she would have to get used to if she was going to do this, and she was.

Giving a huff she thought back to the 'rule' session she had with Oliver.

"Control freak," she said under her breath as if someone was listening.

After the 'rule' exchange with Oliver and a light dinner dropped off by Roy, Felicity had peeled off her clothes and slipped into the remarkably comfortable bed. While she had contemplated/promised herself that she would have that panic attack where she questioned the decisions she had made and what had led her here, she didn't have a chance too. Her face had hit that pillow, her body had wrapped itself around that comforter and for the first time in hours she actually felt something remarkable. She felt safe. She was safe in the knowledge that no would get her here because she was needed by Oliver. He wouldn't let her come to any danger.

She fell asleep seconds after.

When she woke up the next morning she was tangled in the comforter and bed sheets, hugging a pillow to her chest. Letting out a yawn she looked around the room. She was lost for a couple seconds until she remembered where she was. Not bothering to get up she pushed down the pillow to peer at the clock at her bedside.

Felicity was surprised at the time. They had let her sleep almost to noon. Another surprise came in the form of a tray on the side table. She could make out a mug of what she hoped was coffee, a muffin, a banana, and a note sticking out from the side.

Her stomach growled and she pulled herself up, snatching the tray and placing it on the bed next to her. She took a sip of the room temperature coffee and read the note.

'New laptop &amp; old equipment on bench. Sara is waiting outside your door. Get to work. -O'

And that's how it went for the next couple days; sleep and work with her trusty companion Sara and a multitude of surprises along the way.

Her fingers paused on a long black dress.

For the last couple of days this 'persona' that Oliver wanted her to adhere to started to become more real. She still couldn't recognize herself in the mirror in the morning. She had actually started avoiding it all together because of how she looked. Felicity thought of how much her mother would have loved to see her like this. And she wouldn't poke and prod at Felicity about how much it looked it better than the silly black hair she had, well not a lot. Donna Smoak would probably comment on how they looked like family, daughter and mother more now than ever.

She had worked for years to get away from the image of her mother, to not be under its pink sparkly thumb. But here she was. Standing in a big ass closet with wall-to-wall clothes that she'd never wear a week ago with a blonde head of hair to match. And it wasn't just regular clothes. When Sara had taken her measurements, with a frown on her face the size of Texas, she had come back with armloads of clothes and even shoes. These armloads of clothes and shoes were from name brands that she'd never heard of but that she was sure were more expensive than any piece of equipment she'd ever bought.

It's not that she hated the way she looked. She appreciated all the work that the stoic Sara had done to get her to look like this. It was the fact that she had carved a place in the world for herself where she controlled the way that she looked and what she wore. Here at the mansion she had to strip herself of that, give into something else. If she was going to follow through on all the promises she made to them she was going to sport the blonde hair and the designer clothes.

Besides adjusting to all the cosmetic changes and the new wardrobe, she spent the first couple days at the mansion with Sara a couple feet away while she set about fixing the mess she had made of the mansion's system. She had scraped everything away as promised, re-wrote the system because it was sad, before beefing up the mansions sensors with the new and shiny laptop that Sara had left for her, and made it so the mansion's system was an isolated fortress that would need a sledgehammer to get through. She'd even set up an encrypted channel for the guards to communicate with that even she would have a hard time breaking into.

All of this kept her busy. It kept her mind away from warring thoughts on whether she had taken this too far and that maybe her revenge was too much. It kept her body away from breaking down as soon as she opened her eyes and realized that she wasn't at home or at the apartment with the guys and Sin. It kept her busy from thinking of all that she had lost. It kept her going. She held onto that.

And then there was the surprise of Sara. Out of everyone she would say she spent the most time with Sara. Sara was there for every meal, every time she was on the computer, every time she even peeked out of her room. Sara was there. It was obvious the woman didn't like Felicity. Every glance, every stare proved it. She didn't like that she had to watch over Felicity and not work on whatever Bratva-y business she had to take care of.

Even the Bratva captain was a surprise. He wasn't as rough and horrible as she expected. Sure he was scary and probably spent a lot of time brooding but he was going to help her. It wasn't out of the kindness of his heart but he was there to help. Well not physically there. Strangely enough Oliver Queen had been absent the last couple days, not showing his face, while Felicity drove herself insane walking the length of her room in boredom after Sara took her electronics away for the night. This wasn't what she expected. Not even close.

Felicity was pulled out of her whirlwind thoughts when she heard the walk-in closet door open. Her fingers stopped trailing over the clothes and stopped on a blue flowing shirt. She turned around with a smile on her face, "I bet this would look great on you Sin. Just imagine…"

She stopped as her eyes landed on Sara, the smile slipping off her face. Felicity felt her throat tighten as she caught her slip-up. For a second her mind had tricked her into believing that she was home. Blinking rapidly to hold off the tears she gave Sara a tight smile.

"I'm sorry. Thought you were…someone else," Felicity apologized.

Something akin to a curiosity came over Sara's face as she watched Felicity, a tray in her hands, "I brought you dinner. I'll place it on the bench."

Felicity nodded, feeling the beginnings of a panic attack pulling at her. She needed Sara to go, "Thank you."

Sara stood there for a couple seconds. Felicity was sure the woman was going to say something, break the unspoken agreement that she wouldn't say anything besides what was agreed upon with Oliver, but she didn't. All she did was give Felicity a slight nod before turning around and leaving her once more…all alone.

When the door closed Felicity turned around and closed her eyes, her hand gripping the blue shirt. She hadn't been slammed like this with the fact that her friends were gone in…days. Not letting herself remember because of the pain that it would bring. The pain of remembering that Sin wasn't in the apartment. Sin wasn't here. Sin wasn't anywhere.

"Just breathe," she recited to herself in a whisper, her mind starting to settle with every shuddering breath she took, "It'll be ok. Just breathe."

* * *

Felicity gave a content hum, her eyes still closed, while her body drifted between sleep and awareness. The sun was heating her skin, making her slowly turn in the bed and edge towards the heat. She loved these moments between sleep and being awake where her only concern was keeping snug as the heat chased her nightmares and fears away. She sighed and slowly opened her eyes, letting the sunshine wake her up. Her eyes sought out the customary morning breakfast left by Sara. What she didn't expect was to find Oliver Queen sitting in an armchair, next to her bed, watching her.

She screamed.

"What the hell are you doing?" she shouted with a glare before shuffling back in the bed, still too sleepy to fully move, but wanting to put some distance between them.

"Good morning Ms. Smoak. I was starting to wonder if I would have had to wake you myself," Oliver said with a smirk.

"Do you always act like a creepy stalker or is this special treatment just for me?" she asked sarcastically as she pulled the covers up, trying to cover her body with it. She knew that she was showing more skin than she would normally like to, with the small pajama shorts and the thin white cami – all thanks to Sara. It was the blonde woman's way of getting revenge because Felicity gave a tiny complaint that the other pajamas she had picked up were way too big for her slim form.

"Oh you know, it's one of my many hobbies to watch you snore," Oliver replied; seemingly enjoying her discomfort.

"I don't snore!" Felicity said in an offended and sleepy voice. She wrapped her arms around a pillow and watched him.

"Well, now that you're up, here is your breakfast," Oliver said, pulling a tray out of no where and placing it next to her on the bed, "Sara told me this is all you've been eating." Oliver looked down at the coffee mug and the small muffin.

"Yeah, so?" Felicity questioned. She relinquished her hold on her pillow and sat up. She took the mug and let the caffeine take effect. She was in desperate need of it if she was going to have this conversation. "I haven't been very hungry lately."

"You won't be useful to me if you starve yourself to death," he said coldly, dropping the playfulness he'd been exuded at her discomfort. For a second Felicity almost thought he cared. Almost.

"Don't worry, Oliver. I promise I will survive long enough to conclude our unfinished business," she said into her coffee, soaking up the warmth with her hands.

"Good," Oliver replied, removing a small device from his pants pocket and turning it on. A small light flicked on and he placed it on the side table. She recognized it. It emitted a signal that disabled any listening devices in the area. "We better not take any extra risks, don't you think?" he said, as she stared at the device in question.

"You think someone is bugging the mansion?" she asked, not sure what to think.

"I'm sure someone is. A lot of people would like to take me down. Both as Oliver Queen and as The Crow. You know this. This way, we can be sure that our affairs won't escape this room. Even Sara uses one when she spends the days here," Oliver said with a smirk, almost enjoying the shocked look on Felicity's face. Yes, it was time for her to understand how dangerous this game they were playing could be.

"Good thing you came prepared then," she replied as she tried to school her face into a more calm and relaxed one.

"So, Felicity. I hope you have put the new and expensive equipment I've gotten you to good use? Did you take a good look at the mansion's security system? I think we both don't want anyone trying to get in here incognito, now do we?"

"After scrapping out everything I did I decided that…I re-wrote the security system. It was too archaic for me to try to really update it. Now it's running on an independent mainframe. So no one can hack it unless it's done from inside the mansion's private system. Which won't happen, as you have those really large, Russian guys with really big guns," she rambled, taking in Oliver's unimpressed look. "Anyway, I also updated your sensors and security footage systems. It's up and working along with an encrypted channel for your guards. Might even rival some of the security and sensors at the White House. I don't think you will have to worry about it anymore."

"Good," Oliver said, pleased with her work. The last thing he needed was someone to find the breaches in the old system. What happened before couldn't repeat itself ever again. He wouldn't let himself be vulnerable like that. "My contact at city hall deleted the files about the storm drains and worked on the mansion blueprints. They think there is a wine room there, now."

"Smart," she said, putting down her mug of coffee before eating her muffin, "What about the manhole in the old garden house?"

"My men already took care of it," Oliver said shortly.

"Good," Felicity said, continuing to eat her breakfast. She could tell that he had more to tell her.

"I need you to work on a list for all the equipment you need for us to start our operation. I'll send it to a secure location far away from the mansion and it's prying eyes. I actually have the perfect spot for it," Oliver said, thinking that his club's basement would be the perfect location. Hidden from prying eyes, and yet in a place that he would always be at. No one would suspect anything. Maybe Felicity could hide in there from time to time. There was enough room to put together a small kitchen, bedroom and bathroom; along with all the equipment, they may need. It was perfect.

"So, I will get to leave my cell then?" she asked with false brightness, the corners of her mouth pulled up.

"Your cell?" Oliver asked, crossing her arms against his chest, annoyed with the petulant tone she was using.

"You've had me locked away in this room for the past week. You send Sara here to bring me food and spend hours with me while I work away. I have zero connections with the outside world and I don't even have Internet access. All I have to do is work on your security system and try on all the new clothes Sara brings me. And it's a lot of clothes and shoes. I'm going insane in here, Oliver."

"Felicity, I only wish all prison cells were as luxurious as this bedroom," he spit out, eyes darkening, "You know you have to stay put. I'm not putting myself into any more risk because you're bored in here. You will stay put until I say so and that is final."

"Then at least let me work on something!" she said, throwing her hands up, "I can't spend the rest of my days here doing nothing besides working on your system and trying to figure out how to walk in those damn heels with Sara watching silently."

He gave her a flat stare, "I don't trust you with a computer and Wi-Fi. You're too wound up. You may be tempted to do something that may risk this entire operation. You need to stay out of sight and out of the hacker world. China White will send her little army of hackers after you if you get too close. And I won't let you lead them back to me. We need to do this right. We need strategy."

Felicity bristled, "I find your lack of faith in my ability's disturbing, Oliver. I'm known as one of the best hackers out there. Just look at what I did to your system!"

"And yet you and your friends got caught! I find your lack of love for your own life disturbing, Oracle," he ground out, ignoring Felicity's flinch and the way she deflated, "We need to think before making our next move. I didn't get as far as I have in life by acting irrationally."

"Then at least let me get out of this bedroom! I'm suffocating in here, Oliver!" Felicity begged, seeing how unaffected Oliver seemed to be with her discomfort. "Or at least let me be on my own! I don't need Sara to babysit me. I can take care of myself. It's not like I can do much being locked in this room."

"I'm sure you are, Felicity. You see, the problem here is that while I trust Sara implicitly, I can't say the same thing about you. So if you want my help to keep you safe and to go after the Triad, you will do as I say," Oliver said, getting up and moving towards the door as if the conversation was over, "I will be waiting for that list."

"I will deliver it to you tomorrow," she retorted, her jaw clenched tight, as she tried to control her growing frustration. She finished with, "Your Highness."

"Don't test me, Felicity. Trust is earned. Earn it because I'm not a very patient man," Oliver replied angrily before walking out of the room and letting the door slam closed behind him.

Felicity Smoak would be the end of him. He was sure of it.

* * *

The dark wood floors and ceiling of the office that used to belong to Robert Queen exuded a decadent elegance. The vintage furniture, the old books in the built-in shelves, as well as the sculpted desk that now belonged to Oliver had an old world charm to it. Oliver had spent countless hours playing under that desk when he was a child, unaware of the kind of business that his father and his 'Uncle Toly' did for a living. Until this day, Oliver almost couldn't believe that his father would purposely get in bed with the Bratva. But looking back at it maybe he'd had no choice or fallen into this too fast without a way to escape. And if there was one thing that Oliver knew, was that no one could leave the brotherhood.

His father had intertwined Queen Consolidated with the Bratva to keep the family business alive. And now it was Oliver's turn. The only difference was that Oliver had much more blood on his hands than his father.

These days his office was the only place besides his bedroom that he knew he could let go. To feel safe. Even if only for a second. He would let the old jazz records that belonged to his father, softly play in the background while he worked. Sometimes he would even enjoy a cigar, sitting down in one of the armchairs next to the large glass window, a tumbler of brandy in his hand. More often than not he would spend a piece of his day staring out the large window, wondering where he could have been if things were different.

Today was not one of these days. He couldn't seem to relax for one single second ever since Felicity Smoak came into his life. He was always aware, always waiting for something to go wrong. Always waiting for the consequences of the choice he was making. Because it was a hell of a big one.

Oliver looked down at the papers in front of him. He could feel the stiffness in the pen he was holding, the grip he kept on it close to the breaking point. He clenched his jaw, feeling the tension down his neck and across his shoulders. His precious control seemed to be slipping away. And he simply couldn't allow that.

There was a knock on the door of his office.

"_Come in,_" Oliver said, not looking up from his papers.

"We're here to debrief you, Captain," Roy said, not bothering to say it in Russian.

"Good," Oliver said as he turned the anti-bugging device on. Roy and Diggle, both wearing their street clothes came to stand in front of his desk. Sara was right behind them, not looking very happy, as she closed the door. Oliver knew she hated watching over Felicity and was waiting until she finally broke and voiced it.

Roy began, "We went to Ms. Smoak's apartment. It hasn't been touched. The doors were locked, there were no bugs, and no sign that anyone has been there since she left the place."

"That's good. Then we still have some time. They haven't found out her identity yet. What about the loft?" Oliver asked, putting his pen down and running his hand against the dark wood of his desk.

"The loft is a completely different story. It's been wiped clean," Diggle supplied, only confirming what Oliver already expected. "They took all the electronic devices and removed all evidence of any crime from there. Not one single fingertip was left behind. I'm sure they tracked their IP to that location, which could be considered a rookie mistake. But I checked with my source about The Raiders – they have been attacking dirty politicians and businessmen for the past five years. They have always been good at protecting themselves. I'm assuming that somewhere along the line someone made a serious mistake that cost their lives," Diggle said, as Oliver now moved to brush his fingers across his stubble, taking in all the information.

"Do you know who made the mistake?" Oliver asked. Diggle immediately knew what he wanted to know.

"My source told me that the Oracle aka Ms. Smoak couldn't be the one responsible for it. Unlike her counterparts she never leaves markers on her work. Nothing traceable. She's too good for that. Too smart. I may not like the idea of this woman being here, or you getting involved in this mess, but I know she wasn't the one responsible for that massacre."

"Good. That's good to hear. The last thing I need is to risk myself over a woman that is not who she says she is. Now we can really get into things," Oliver said callously. He turned to Sara, "Sara, your debrief?"

"Felicity Smoak has been following the rules. She spends a lot of time listening to a small old radio and reading an old book when she's not working. She talks a lot, sometimes to herself. She is clearly nervous to be in the mansion, and yet she hates to be locked in her bedroom. She hasn't tried to find a way to get into the network and hasn't turned her old computer or phone on. She seems stable, considering everything she went through," Sara said shortly, the annoyance clear in her tone.

Oliver watched her for a couple seconds, "Do you have something to say to me, Sara?"

"Sir, I'm sure that I can be of more use to you than just watching over Ms. Smoak." Sara said, frustrated, "I should be out in the field and not staring at a locked door from the inside and the outside and bringing her breakfast, lunch and dinner."

"Sara, you know that I can't trust my other men with this job. Diggle and Roy are with me. You are the only one I know I can count on to watch over her. I don't trust Felicity to be left by herself. She is a hazard to herself and to us especially after the death of her friends. We need to keep her on a tight leash, at least until I decide what to do," Oliver said shortly. Even though he understood Sara's frustration he needed her eyes on Felicity all the time. Besides, Sara was loyal and wouldn't try anything stupid, contrary to many of his Bratva men that would probably see an opportunity with the small blonde girl. To them, she was free game. And Oliver wouldn't allow that even though he wouldn't admit to care so much out loud. He had promised to keep her safe, and that's what he was going to do.

"Yes, Captain," Sara said, holding her tongue and her pride. She could hear Oliver's unspoken words and understood the meaning behind Oliver's final word. No woman would be hurt on her watch.

A knock on the door paused their conversation.

"_Come in!"_ Oliver called out.

Anya stepped into the office with a tray in her hands. _"I brought your coffee, Captain," _she said, putting the tray on top of a small coffee table next to the large couch that sat opposite to his desk.

"_Leave it there, Anya,"_ Oliver replied shortly. He didn't like knowing that she was that close by when he was speaking of these things.

"_Do you need anything else, sir?"_ Anya asked, crossing her arms behind her back, trying to exude obedience. Oliver knew better.

"_No. I will call you if I do,"_ Oliver said, watching as she nodded and left the room, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the room.

Anya had been more present and paying much more attention to his every move. Oliver always knew her sole propose in there was to inform Anatoly of his every move, and it made him even tenser to realize that she must have sensed that something was going on in the past week.

While Anya was the housekeeper, she'd always been forbidden to walk into the west wing of the mansion – the wing where Oliver's family used to live before they were killed and where Oliver's bedroom lay. It was a sacred space, and only Diggle, Roy and Sara were allowed to walk freely into that side of the mansion. Sara and Roy would supervise as the maids cleaned it, making sure they didn't touch anything, nor spend any more time than necessary there. In addition, Roy and Sara lived in the west wing, assuring that Anya kept her nose out of the wing's business. He was sure that she still tried once in a blue moon but their constant presence deterred her greatly.

That was the only reason she didn't know about Felicity yet. And he sure as hell wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.

* * *

Oliver was discussing Bratva business with Diggle when he heard the familiar tone coming from inside one of his desk drawers. It was the ringtone for one of his burner phones. And only one person had that particular number.

Oliver took a large calming breathe, before digging it out and answering_, "Hello uncle."_

"_Oliver, my boy. How are you?"_ Anatoly Knyazev – The Pakhan, leader of the Solntsevskaya Bratva – said on the other side of the line.

"_I am well, uncle. How are you?"_ Oliver said, going over the regular pleasantries his uncle insisted on even though they had lost their proximity as family as Oliver grew older. Anatoly was his Leader, not this family. Not anymore.

Knowing that this call might take a while he looked up at John. The man gave him a nod and walked out of the office, leaving the Leader of Bratva and the Highest Ranked Captain to talk in private.

"_As strong as a bull! You know your old man Ollie, I will live until I am 120 years old,"_ Anatoly said with a laugh that only made Oliver roll his eyes at the use of his childhood nickname – he hated it.

"_That's good to hear, uncle,"_ Oliver replied, letting his body relax back against the leather desk chair.

"_So, how's business? Did the increase you predicted a few months ago go through?"_

"_Yes, our system is working perfectly. I'm thinking about doing some upgrades – that way we will be able to work with larger amounts and not bring any attention to us. I hope to be able to show you some results when I come to Moscow next month," _Oliver said, wondering if Felicity would object on helping him with his money laundering system at Queen Consolidated. While her whole 'Robin Hood' facade could be seen as noble for some people, it also showed her weakness, one that Oliver was more than willing to use to his advantage.

"_Excellent. You are making me proud, my boy,"_ Anatoly said, and Oliver wondered whom the older man was trying to fool – him or himself.

"_I'm glad my work has been pleasing you, __Pakhan,"_ Oliver said shortly.

"_I always knew you were going to be a good Brigadier, the best Captain I could hope for. One day you will be the Pakhan, Oliver. I want you to be ready for it,"_ Anatoly mused and Oliver instantly knew he was up to something. Anatoly had long left the sentimentalism behind.

"_It brings me joy that you think that one day I will be up to the task, uncle. That I'm worthy of such a position,_" Oliver said, trying to keep his tone neutral and holding so tightly onto the phone that he feared it might snap any moment now. He leaned forward and rested his elbows against the desk.

"_That is why I raised you the way I did, Oliver. So that you would be strong enough. You are like a son to me, my heir. And as such, we need to think about your future,"_ Anatoly said, making Oliver gulp. What did the old bastard have planned now?

"_My future?"_ Oliver questioned, hoping he wasn't showing in his voice how tense he was.

"_Ollie, I was your age once. I know what temptation looks like. But that doesn't mean you should risk everything over some fun between the sheets," _Anatoly said, clearly displeased.

"_Uncle, I have no idea what you are talking about," _Oliver tried to say, wondering what his affair with Helena had anything to do with it. After all, Anatoly never seemed to mind it before.

"_Oliver, there is no reason for you to try to deny it. I know there is a woman staying with you at the mansion."_

"_I…" _Oliver froze, not sure what to say. That'd never happened before with him. He always knew what to say because he always expected what people would say to him. But not this. He hoped he would have enough time to hide Felicity, to be able to remove her safely from the mansion. To find a safe place to hide her. But apparently he had run out of time.

"_I know it's convenient for your mistress of the season to stay with you, naked and willing, just waiting for your command. But I won´t allow a woman to ruin everything I worked my entire life to build. This is a liability I won´t take. I want this lover of yours, gone. Do you understand me?"_

"_Uncle, it's not like that. She's not my mistress,"_ Oliver said, knowing there was no other way. He would have to make Anatoly believe that Felicity belonged there, otherwise he wouldn't be able to protect her and all their future plans would fall apart before they even began. Because without him and his protection, Felicity would be as good as dead. They both knew this. Which is why she had come looking for his help in the first place.

"_Oliver, I am not a stupid man. Don´t treat me like one,"_ Anatoly said in a chastising tone.

"_That is not what I meant. There is a woman… she…she is special to me,"_ Oliver said, pressing his hand against his eyes, frustration filling every single cell in his body. He knew he was playing a dangerous game here. But it was the only way. There was no other choice to make. No other way for them to survive and fulfill their plans without his uncle knowing.

"_Special?"_ Anatoly asked curiously.

"_Special…different from any other woman I've ever meet… there is just something about her,"_ Oliver continued, trying to sound as enamored as he could.

"_So, tell me more about this special lady. Why haven't I heard about her before?" _Anatoly asked, voice still suspicious.

"_Well, I was waiting for it to become more serious before telling you about her, uncle,"_ Oliver rambled, feeling like an idiot at not being more prepared for this, _"Before bringing her into this life."_

"_What can be more serious than spending an entire week in the mansion? From what I heard, she hasn´t left the west wing of the mansion. And we both know that the west wing is your own personal territory,"_ Anatoly insisted. "_Ollie, I hope you won´t tell me that you locked the girl away with chains and are doing despicable things with her,"_ he teased.

"_No uncle. I asked her to come stay with me. We haven't been able to spend as much time as I would like lately."_

"_You did?" _Anatoly said, letting out a sigh,_ "Oliver, you must understand why I am worried here. In your entire life you've never let this kind of thing happen. It makes me wonder why it's different now."_

"_She's different. Simple as that," _Oliver cut in. He needed his uncle to believe this.

"_My boy, is that love that I am hearing?" _Anatoly teased_, "Well, then I can´t wait to meet the temptress that stole my nephew's heart. I expect you to bring this mysterious woman with you when you come to Russia in a few weeks."_

_Oliver felt something he hadn't felt in ages at the thought of bringing Felicity to Russia with him under the guise of stealing his heart. He felt fear. Clearing his throat he said, "Uncle, I'm not sure that will be possible."_

"_Nonsense, Ollie. If she will be the woman of a Captain, if you're going to bring her into our world then I need to meet her. I insist on her presence during our next meeting."_

"_Yes, uncle," _Oliver finally agreed, hanging his head. The commanding voice that Anatoly had used left no wiggle room. Felicity was going to be coming with him to Russia.

This was getting out of hand. Damn it.

"_Excellent. Now I will let you go. I am sure you have much more delightful things to do than to talk to your old uncle. I will see you in a few weeks, Oliver. You and your lovely woman." _And with that Anatoly ended the call. Oliver held onto the phone for about two seconds before tossing it at the wall with a yell of frustration.

"_Fuck!" _he shouted before pressing his fingers against his temples. His life just kept on getting more complicated by the second. He knew how much Felicity was going to like this.

"_What the hell am I going to do now?"_

* * *

Oliver paced from one side to the other of the garden, his quick steps echoing, a cigarette hanging on his lips. The garden had been his mothers pride and joy when she was still alive. Because of this he made sure that the garden remained beautiful; still holding the most breath taking rose bushes he had ever seen. It used to calm him down to walk among the garden, sit down on the stone bench near the patio set and let the fresh air and flowery scent fill him. That's exactly why he had chosen this place to do it.

Yet, he couldn't sit still or calm down until she got here.

It had been two days since his talk with Anatoly. Two days of frustrating mornings, agonizing afternoons, and sleepless nights. He had mulled over any possible way to get out of his promise to Anatoly while keeping Felicity here. And yet, he couldn't find a reason to why Felicity shouldn't accompany him to Russia.

While he was constantly frustrated with Felicity Smoak's smart mouth and lack of common sense, he also didn't want to expose her to Anatoly. He knew his uncle would use the opportunity to extract every single bit of information that he desired from her. And Oliver knew Anatoly wouldn't stop until he got everything that he wanted because he sensed that there was something there, something important to Oliver.

He was foolish to think he would be able to fool the _Pakhan._ He would see right through them, see that they didn't care for each other, that it was a means to an end. He would see through his lie and then both of them would be dammed. Yet, there was no choice to make. To tell Anatoly that Felicity was anything but The Crow's 'woman' would lead her to be pushed away as far from him as possible, and he wouldn't be able to protect her then or work with her. But to let Anatoly know the truth would mean both of their deaths. It was treason, and Anatoly never let a traitor of the brotherhood live to see another day.

So even though Oliver knew it was the only way, he still hated it. And with everyday that passed he felt the tension in his body increase to the point where not even the large shot of vodka he'd taken earlier had helped to settle his nerves. Tonight, he would have to put another mask on. Tonight, he would become someone else again. And he would lose another small piece of himself to protect both of them.

He hoped that it would be worth it.

The sound of high heels walking down the stone staircase that led to the garden, made him put out his cigarette and turn around. Felicity was walking down the stairs as Sara retreated to the mansion as instructed. They needed to be alone for this.

There was no denial that Felicity Smoak was a gorgeous woman. She was distinctly beautiful with the dark hair, scared eyes and even with the dirty Goth clothes; but as a blonde, she was simply breathtaking. And even though she wasn't pleased with the change in her looks, she exuded confidence in her new guise; glasses and all. Oliver could work with this. This beautiful and infuriating woman who rambled was someone he wouldn't mind pressing close, mouthing at her nape before stripping her and taking her on his bed. No one would question why Oliver Queen would be with a woman like her. No one would question why The Crow had chosen her to stay by his side.

And that's exactly what Oliver was counting on. Now, they just had to sell it.

She approached him in small steps, a fake smile on her lips as her eyes flickered around the garden. This had been the first time she'd been out of her room in nearly a week.

"You summoned me, oh all almighty one?" she asked, faking a sweet tone that only helped to set his nerves on fire. She wasn't making things easier for him.

"Fe-li-ci-ty," he greeted, his voice softer that she'd ever heard before.

She instantly noticed the different way that he said her name. She gave him an unsure look, "Oliver."

"You're looking lovely tonight," Oliver said, stalking towards his prey slowly and smoothly. He knew she would be uncomfortable with it, but he needed to make sure she played along.

"What?" she asked, her face looking even more confused. But she didn't move.

Oliver stopped when he was clearly invading her personal space. He could feel she was ready to bolt and so his hands came up and softly held onto her hips. "Don't," he whispered.

"Oliver, what are you doing?" she asked him, too shocked to actually move out of his grasp. This was not what she was expecting when Sara told her that Oliver wanted to meet her in the gardens. And if he didn't explain quickly she would pull away by force.

"Someone is watching," he whispered in her ear, his lips touching her earlobe, right were her industrial piercing lay. She felt a trail of goose bumps run down her neck and arms. "I need you to play along. Both our lives depend on it," Oliver whispered, as his hands came up to rest comfortably on the small of her back, thumbs moving in a small sensual caress that to others looked comforting, "Place your hands on my shoulders. It's ok, Felicity."

"Ok," she mumbled, her hands resting against his shoulders, curiosity gnawing at her to look around for the hiding observer. Oliver's hold prevented her from doing so.

Oliver glanced over to the dining room windows. He could see movement behind the parted closed curtains. Anya was watching.

Excellent.

"Would you like a glass of wine?" Oliver asked, slowly pulling away from her and taking her hand into his. He walked them over to the patio set where he'd placed a very expensive bottle of Domaine de la Romanee for them.

"Sure," Felicity answered. Oliver dropped her hand and poured them a glass each. She ran her hands over her skirt. This wasn't what she was expecting and she was admittedly nervous and a little freaked out.

"Cheers," he said as he handed her a glass. She politely smiled as they toasted and took a sip of the wine. It was delicious; something that she had never had before in her life. She wondered why she had taken this long to enjoy the pleasures that a nice glass of wine could bring.

Her nerves were already calming.

Oliver moved closer to her once more, one of his hands resting in the small of her back as they enjoyed their wine. She tried to keep her body from tensing as they finished the wine, mindful of watching eyes. He took their glasses and set them to the side before pulling her close and running his nose up the curve of her neck. To a passerby it looked like he was kissing up and down her neck.

"Tilt your head a little. Put your hands on my arms," Oliver murmured, centimeters from her skin.

Felicity followed his instructions hesitantly. She took a long breath in to try to calm down her erratic heart and dug her fingernails down into his arms, showing him that even though she could play along she was highly uncomfortable with this.

"We need to talk," Oliver whispered as he moved his face up to her ear before running his hands up and down her back in a soothing manner.

"Aren't we already?" she urged, hating the way that her cheeks seemed to flush. She wasn't that kind of girl, "Hopefully you can explain why groping suddenly became part of our deal, because newsflash, I never signed up for this."

"Upstairs. Somewhere no one can hear us," he said, moving to kiss the corner of her mouth, keeping the pretense of seduction, "Or see us."

"Ok," she whispered. She was confused at why he would even ask her to come outside if he wanted to speak in private.

"Let's go to my bedroom," he said, taking a step back, his fingers trailing down her back and over her hips before falling away.

He took her hand in his again, intertwining their fingers, as they entered the mansion without looking back. He led her through the main room, up the large marble stairs, up to the second floor and towards the west wing of the mansion. His bedroom was at the end of a long corridor, a few doors away from her own bedroom in the west wing. It was the master suite.

Oliver opened the door and let her walk inside his private sanctuary. He felt his mind want to pull back and not let her in but it was better to just rip it off like a band aid.

As Oliver walked around Felicity she took in his room. His bedroom was nothing like Felicity imagined it would be. The spacious master suite was richly decorated in pastel colors with dark wooden floors and a huge bay window next to a king size bed, which had a sitting area right next to it. A large fireplace rested in front of the bed and a painting of the sea was right above it. On each side of the bed, there were side tables, filled with small fragments of the real Oliver Queen – pictures of his family, a small antique toy locomotive, an old watch, an old teddy bear, a small music box and a children's book she kind of recognized. Next to the book sat a 9 mm pistol.

It suddenly hit her…this was his sanctuary.

Her eyes followed Oliver as he picked up the weapon and moved from one side of the room to the other. He was doing a sweep. Looking through the windows, checking his walk-in closet and bathroom. He did all of this with his gun firmly in his hand. Finding nothing he removed the anti-bugging device from his suit pants pockets – the same one she had seen him use in her bedroom a few days ago – and turned it on, placing it on the side table with his gun.

"It's safe in here. You can speak now. I'm sure you have a lot to say," Oliver said, standing far enough from her that she couldn't smack him or something. He had pulled something quite sudden outside and he wasn't sure how she'd react.

"What the hell was all of that, Oliver?" she asked crossly, "That wasn't part of our agreement."

"I needed to prove a point," Oliver said simply.

"What point? What could possible make you act that way? Are you insane?" Felicity questioned, clearly angry at his behavior and needing an explanation now, "The only reason why I didn't move and let you…do that is because someone was watching us?"

"I had to show that you and I were involved. Someone had to see it," Oliver said coldly, as he remembered Anya peeking behind the curtains. He was sure she was on the phone with Anatoly right now, doing exactly what Oliver wanted her to do. She was an important player in this game of his.

"What the hell are you talking about? Who was watching us?" Felicity questioned, clenching her hands as she remembered his lingering touches. This wasn't what she signed up for.

"An informer of my uncle's," Oliver said, as he moved over to sit in an armchair, lighting a cigarette.

Felicity gave him a pointed look before opening the window behind him. She sat in the armchair farthest from him, "And why would your uncle want to know that? I thought you were the head of the American branch."

"Because he is Anatoly Knyazev – The Pakhan – the leader of the entire Solntsevskaya Bratva," Oliver said before taking a drag on his cigarette, blowing it in the direction of the window, "And because he knows you're here."

"He knows I'm here?" she asked, not hiding the fear and desperation in her voice.

"Yes. His informant inside the mansion reports directly to him. One of them told him of your extended presence here. Which got him wondering why I would allow it. He doesn't like strangers around any Bratva business."

"Oliver! If he knows who I am…"

"He doesn't, at least, not the way you think he does," Oliver assured, trying to calm her down, " I had to come up with an excuse for your presence, something that was believable, something that wouldn't compromise your presence here and your safety. That's why I did 'that' in the gardens. So the informant could see and report back."

Felicity sat up straighter in her seat, dread filling her, "What did you say to him?"

"I want you to know that this was my last resort. That I didn't want it to reach this point, but there was no other choice. He wouldn't believe it any other way. And I needed the perfect excuse, the perfect decoy to throw him of the scent of what we're doing here."

Her eyes widened. With every word it sounded worse and worse, "Oliver, just say it!"

He extinguished his cigarette and pinned her down with his blue eyes, "Congratulations, Ms. Smoak. You just officially became my partner in every possible way. From now on, not only will you be Oliver Queen's girlfriend, you will also be the woman of a Bratva Captain, the one that belongs to The Crow."

* * *

**A/N: We hope you guys have enjoyed this chapter!**

**Things are about to get really interesting! **

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**PoisonAngelMuse and TheAlternativeSource**


	5. Heaven or Hell

**The Crow Chapter 5 – Heaven or Hell**

**Disclaimer: **We own nothing but our plot and our own characters. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to DC Comics and CW Television. All rights over this idea and its concepts belong to us. This work is intended for the private enjoyment of the reader and is not to be shared on any other sites (besides AO3 and FF) or events without our express permission.

* * *

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**Music – Heaven or Hell by Digital Daggers**

* * *

_I've got the same deep wounds as you,  
My love can double as a weapon too  
Say that you trust it and I'll set it free,  
Turn it back on me,  
Turn it back on me_

_We trade our secrets when it's safe,  
Our ammunition when the fever breaks  
Show me the side no one else sees,  
Turn it back on me,  
Turn it back on me  
I am exposed, I am undone,  
You tear the walls down one by one,_

_We tried to run, we tried to hide in fear of losing ourselves,  
We tried to keep it all inside so we don't hurt someone else,  
When all the demons come alive I'll still be under your spell,_

_This could be heaven or hell,  
This could be heaven or hell_

_In you I found my only faith,  
I lost my halo to your renegade,  
This love could bring me to my knees,  
Turn it back on me,  
Turn it back on me  
I am exposed, I am undone,  
Come tear my walls down one by one,_

Felicity stood unmoving for a few seconds, silent, her hands falling down at her sides, her blue eyes moving as she tried to process what Oliver had just said.

'_Congratulations, Ms. Smoak. You just officially became my partner in every possible way. From now on, not only will you be Oliver Queen's girlfriend, you will also be the woman of a Bratva Captain, the one that belongs to The Crow_.' She felt anger well in her.

Oliver looked at her from his place at the armchair, eyeing Felicity expectantly, waiting for the explosion he was sure was to come. It took a little bit longer than he expected, but soon her eyes seemed to focus, going from shock, to anger to full blown hatred. Her cheeks flushed and her eyes hardened. Then it all went to hell.

"What the hell do you think you are doing? Who the fuck do you think you are? I don't belong to you! I don't belong to anyone, you narcissistic asshole," she shouted, her hands gesturing wildly.

"Felicity," he said in a controlled tone – trying to warn her off – after all the last thing he needed was her attitude right now. But it only served to fuel her fire.

"I know that you are used to owning everything and everyone, but I will never belong to you, you jackass," she shouted as she paced, her ponytail swinging about with her rushed movements.

"Keep your voice down," he hissed, getting up from his place and walking towards her.

"No!" she shot back, moving farther away from him. She needed to be away from him or she wouldn't be held responsible for her actions.

"You promised me you would follow my lead. That you would trust my judgment and do what I told you to do," Oliver said. He was already tired of having this conversation. But no matter how much he tried to keep the control of the situation, things just seemed to get even worse.

"You have no right over me, Oliver!" she snapped, her blue eyes burning with hatred.

"And I have no desire to; this is a matter of necessity. Not something for my enjoyment," Oliver said shortly.

"What makes you think I'm going to agree with this? This is ridiculous!" she demanded, crossing her arms against her chest and giving him a hard look.

"Because you have no other choice! If my uncle finds out about the truth of why you are here, he will kill us both. He has no desire to get into a predicament with The Triad, you know that! He will put a bullet in your head and hand your head on a silver platter to China White. And me, well, let's just say that he doesn't handle betrayal well," Oliver said in such a cold tone that Felicity gave pause.

Deep down Felicity knew he was right, deep down the rational part of her brain was shouting to accept this and move on. That there were other things much worse than having to pretend to be Oliver Queen's girlfriend. But she just couldn't do it. This was too much.

"Oliver! No one will believe it! We barely know each other!" she said in frustration.

"Which is why from this day forward we will work on this," Oliver pointed between them, "We will get to know each other enough to make people believe in us. It needs to look real! We need to make them believe in us, or we are as good as dead."

"But how?" she asked desperately. "I don't even like you! How am I supposed to pretend to be in love with you? I'm a terrible liar!" she rambled, sitting down on the edge of the bed and letting out a huff of air.

"Trust me, this won't be a walk in the park for me either. But it's better than the alternative," Oliver said, annoyed to have to convince Felicity. For a moment, he wondered if she was even worth the trouble. He came to stand in front of her, "Do you want to avenge your friend's death? Your family's death? Then this is what you need to do. Otherwise, you can pack your things and get the hell out of here, because I won't risk my life for someone that won't have the guts to go all the way."

"Are you threating me?" she asked, shocked at the lengths that he was willing to go for this.

His lips curled, "No. I am stating a fact. This is our only option. Take it or leave it."

"It's not like you're leaving me any choice on the matter," she said. It was clear in her tone how much she despised Oliver in that moment.

"I never intended to, Ms. Smoak. You came to me for help, not the other way around. Either you play by my rules, or our deal is off. Simple as that."

Felicity crossed her arms over her chest in a feeble attempt to protect herself, feeling the angry tears start to well up. She held them back. No matter how strong she tried to be, how much she fought to stay in control, she couldn't shield herself from all the things that Oliver wanted her to do. She hated being a prisoner. To have zero control over her own life. She hated being a pawn in his game and transforming into someone she was not. But what other choice did she have? Without Oliver's help, she wouldn't accomplish anything. Without his protection and resources she would be an easy target and she would never be able to avenge her family. And she couldn't do that, she couldn't fail them. She owned it to them.

"Ok," she muttered, her jaw clenched. She would do this. For Rori, for Chuck, for Cooper and for Sin.

"Ok?" Oliver asked her, arching one eyebrow, as he doubted her acceptance. Felicity was the most stubborn woman he had ever met. He knew she wouldn't make it easy for him.

"Ok, I will play the part," she repeated through clenched teeth.

"Don't need to sound so happy about it either," he said sarcastically as he let out a small relieved sigh. He was still annoyed at her but a hell of a lot more relieved that she said yes, "You know, a million other women would die to be in your place right now."

"Too bad for you that I'm not one of them, then."

"It sure as hell would make things a lot easier," Oliver muttered too low for Felicity to hear, "So, we will need to set some new ground rules."

"You bet your ass we will!" she said with a disbelieving look, "I agree to pretend. Nothing else."

His eyes narrowed, "I wouldn't dream of it. Every time I touch you it will all be for show, Ms. Smoak."

"Good. As long as we understand each other," she said with a nod, "What else?"

"Well, we will need a cover story. Not only that, but we will need to start constructing our relationship for the public eye in a way that won't raise any suspicions. After all, until a few days ago I was still one of the most desired bachelors of Starling City."

"Lucky me," she said, rolling her eyes.

Oliver decided to ignore her smart comments and continue with the ground rules, "Naturally we will have to start to attend events together. Both to Starling City society and as Bratva. People need to know that you exist. Otherwise, Anatoly will see that I fabricated a relationship, and then he will wonder exactly why I would lie to cover your presence here."

She wasn't sure what to say, "So, you want us to go out on dates?"

"Yes. Dates, galas, society functions and we also need to be seen at my club. I always attend Verdant at least once a week. A lot of my Bratva contacts also reach out to me there. It will be a nice place for us to start actually."

"But…that will put me in the spotlight, Oliver. People will get curious and will start asking a lot of questions, and I don't think it will be good for them and for me for Felicity Smoak being know everywhere," she tried to reason. This sounded like a disaster.

"Felicity, anyone that tries to find information about you will only know you are from Vegas and an MIT graduate. Nothing else. You have hidden your tracks really well. Never marking your work online or leaving a trace of yourself," he signaled at her body, "And now with your different appearance the chances of someone recognizing you are small."

"Clearly I didn't cover up my tracks well enough," she said, the sadness clear in her voice. The pain was still too raw. She would carry the guilt for the rest of her life.

"What happened to your friend's wasn't your fault. I wouldn't be working with you if it was," Oliver said shortly. Felicity almost felt like Oliver was trying to console her, "Anyway, we will start the plan tomorrow. You need to be seen around the house."

"Around the house? The entire house?" she asked. He was going to let her out of her room and around the house?

"Yes, but don't worry. Sara, Roy or Diggle will always be close by. We need to keep our cover. Anatoly's informant will be watching us even in here. But you will be safe," Oliver said with a hint of honesty as he sat next to her on the bed.

"That's not what I meant," she said, pushing the new glasses up her nose; a nervous habit she had developed since wearing them.

"What did you mean then?"

She turned to look at him. He was closer than she expected, "I will be free to go anywhere I want? Out of my bedroom?"

He nodded, "Yes, and by the way, this is not your bedroom anymore."

"What do you mean?" she asked him, alarmed.

"From now on you will be sleeping in my bedroom, with me."

"What? No!" she protested, leaning away from him.

"Felicity," Oliver groaned out as it if would stop the coming tantrum.

"No, Oliver! That's a line I won't cross," she said, poking his arm in anger.

Oliver snatched up her poking finger, "Felicity."

"No!" she shouted madly.

"Fe-li-ci-ty," he whispered in a way that made her freeze. He was leaning into her personal space, "Nothing will happen. I happen to like my women willing, which you are not. So I promise you I won't touch you. You have my word on that."

"And you just expect me to take your word for it?" she whispered in the same tone. She knew how dangerous The Crow was. He could do anything he wanted with her, and no one would lift a finger to stop it. She would be helpless.

"Call it a leap of faith," Oliver said as if it was no big deal, "Anatoly will know something is up if we don't sleep in the same room. He knows me. He knows I wouldn't let that happen. So as far as I can see, if you want to make this whole thing work, you will have to do as I say."

She looked away from his penetrating gaze. The anger had seeped away from her but that didn't mean she wasn't still frustrated and curious about it all, "But I thought that the west wing was off limits. Why do we have to do this if people are forbidden to come here?"

"Because I'm sure that Anya will find a way to sneak up here in the middle of the night. She will check your room and will try to keep close. While I'm sure there is no way for her to get inside my bedroom – she wouldn't dare – I can't say the same for you. If she catches you there she will know there is something wrong."

"Anya? She is one of your uncle's informants?"

"One of them, I'm sure. She's been in the brotherhood her entire life and she was picked by Anatoly himself to follow me from Russia and back to Starling City. She is his eyes and ears in this house. His most loyal servant." Oliver said as he shifted slightly, the words leaving a bad taste on his mouth.

"So we will have to keep pretending all the time?"

"No. When you're in this bedroom you are free to keep showing how much you despise me," Oliver said coldly with a wave of his hand. Both weren't looking forward to this change in their relationship, no matter how much of a ruse it was.

"I don't know if I can do this…it's a lot to take in," Felicity said, leaning forward and cradling her face in her hands, elbows on her knees, as she tried to take it all in.

Oliver watched her freak out. She was still hesitant but going to give in, "Think of it as a mask; a mask you have to hide under. Nothing more. Once we have dealt with The Triad you will be free and you can forget all of this happened and go back to living your own life."

"You say that like it's so simple," she grumbled into her hands. Anyone else would place a hand on her back, comfort her in this. But that person wasn't Oliver as far as she knew.

"It's simple, Felicity. Don't make things more complicated than they have to be," he said as he stood up, removing his jacket and throwing it over an armchair, "So, which side do you want?"

"What?" she asked as she watched him begin to unbutton his shirt. This was not how she expected her day to end.

"The bed? Left or right side?" he asked her as he removed his button up. He could see a protest coming from her lips, "You can either take the other side of my bed, or you can sleep on the couch, or even the floor. It's your choice. I don't really care. But you won't leave this bedroom, Felicity. That I promise you."

Felicity huffed as she slipped off her heels, "Fine, but what the hell am I supposed to wear to sleep?"

Oliver gave her a smug grin as he held up his shirt, "This looks like it fits."

* * *

Felicity groaned awake, pulling the soft blanket closer to her chest as daylight filled the room. Usually the sun warming her skin chased away nightmares and made her feel well rested. This wasn't the case this morning. She cautiously opened her eyes, worried with what she might see, only to find the bedroom empty and the blinds draw up and curtains open, letting the sunlight come in through the large windows.

Letting a tired sigh out, she pushed the blanket off of her and sat up, her feet touching the cold floor. Her hands instantly came up to her neck, groaning in pain. Nightmares combined with sleeping on Oliver's surprisingly uncomfortable couch left her aching. It had been her choice to sleep on the couch but she couldn't sleep next to Oliver could she? She'd even refused Oliver's shirt, sleeping in the same clothes from yesterday.

Oliver had been adamant about her sleeping in his bedroom, saying it was a vital part of the plan. The rational part of her knew he was right – that all he wanted was for them to keep up their cover. But that didn't mean she had to like it. She had thought when she refused the bed that he would offer to take the couch like a gentlemen but Oliver was a completely different kind of man. He just shrugged and handed her some blankets when she told him she wouldn't be sharing a bed with him.

She had a sleepless night on that damn couch, tense and wary, while Oliver slept soundly on his large king size bed, his soft snores letting her know how deep in sleep he really was. It annoyed her to no end how he could simply sleep on without a care in the world when there were so many dangers around them.

Felicity wasn't that surprised that she had woken up later than expected, Oliver long gone. Their new status was going to be a pain if waking up with an aching neck was any indication. But if there was one thing that Oliver was, it was bright, and he had survived in this violent world for the past twenty years – so if there was someone that knew how to survive this, it was he. She would simply have to learn how to trust him.

At least now she would finally be allowed to leave the west wing.

Looking down at her wrinkled skirt and blouse from the night before, she found the strength to get up from the small couch, and up to her feet. She tried to stretch her arms and neck, to find a form of release from the pain, but nothing seemed to work. She needed a hot shower. A relaxing and long, hot shower.

Grabbing her pair of heels and glasses from the floor she made her way out of the room. Her 'old' bedroom was only two doors down. When she entered the room and closed the door behind her she was relieved. Finally feeling a bit safer being somewhere more familiar. She could almost feel the weight of yesterday being lifted from her shoulders.

She took a quick shower, letting the warm water wash away the stress and aches of the evil couch from the night before and all the thoughts that threatened to consume her. When that was done she was surprised to see that Sara wasn't there or had laid out a dress for her. Sara was always there. She picked a dress that the women would most certainly approve of and paired it with some black flats, letting her naturally curly hair dry over one shoulder, before placing her glasses back in place.

All that was left to do now was turn that nob and find the courage to walk out of her personal prison. It was harder to do than expected.

'You can do this, Smoak. Don´t be a coward'

Throwing caution to the wind she opened the door in a quick move only to find Sara waiting for her on the other side.

"Sara, hi," Felicity said, not sure why she was surprised to see one of Oliver's most loyal men/woman waiting on the other side of her door. He said he wouldn't let her be watched by anyone else, after all, he didn't trust anyone else, "I expected to see you inside. I had to pick this all by myself."

"Ms. Smoak. I'm here to accompany you downstairs," Sara said shortly, all business like. She did however glance over Felicity's dress, approval in her eyes at the choice.

"Oh," Felicity said as uncertainty took over her. "That's good I guess…I would probably get lost in this place anyway," Felicity rambled, trying to lighten the mood, only to have Sara ignore her and slowly start walking down the hall.

"Aren't you coming, Ms. Smoak?" Sara called back as Felicity quickly followed her.

Felicity memorized each turn they took after the main hallway of the west wing until they reached an open area that lead to a massive intricate marble staircase. The main foyer was gorgeous, with double master doors, huge French windows and a high ceiling. In the middle of the foyer stood an elegant wood table with a large vase of roses. To top it off there was a ridiculously expensive looking crystal chandelier hanging right above it all. It looked like something from the classic movies that Mr. and Mrs. Watson loved so much.

It was the first time that Felicity had gotten to observe the beauty of the luxurious mansion. The times she'd been out of her room had been tense and rushed, darkness covering her as Sara rushed her along.

"Come on, you can enjoy the view later. Your breakfast is ready," Sara said as they walked down the stairs, bypassing a family room before entering an elegant looking kitchen. It had dark floors, white cabinets and huge white marble counters. It was a state of the art kitchen, something that Felicity had only seen in magazines. In the middle of it all stood a stocky older man around his fifties, who was cooking her breakfast.

"_Morning Nicholai,_" Sara said in Russian, as Felicity stood by her side. She hated not understanding what was being said.

"_Morning Sara_," Nicholai said, looking from the stove as he plated what seemed to be a plate of pancakes and bacon.

"_This looks good. None, for me_?" she teased him, eyeing the plate.

"_Captain was clear this was for his lady. She is too skinny_," Nicholai, said looking at Felicity. She gave him a polite and slightly awkward smile in return.

"_That's what happens when you don't eat_," Sara said before she turned to Felicity and began introductions, "Ms. Smoak, this is our chef Nicholai. Nicholai, this is the Captain's girlfriend, Felicity Smoak."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Nicholai," Felicity greeted as he nodded in acknowledgement.

Sara sat on a barstool and Felicity followed her example as the older man put a plate filled with food in front of her, along with a mug of steaming coffee.

"Enjoy, Ms. Smoak," Nicholai said, his Russian accent heavy.

"Oh, you do speak English," Felicity said happily, as Sara chuckle next to her, receiving her own plate and mug of coffee. She instantly dug into her food.

"Barely," he replied politely, before moving away and beginning to clean the kitchen.

Felicity wasn't sure what to say and at her discomfort Sara intervened.

"Nicholai isn't here to chat. He has a job, like all of us do," Sara supplied, eating a bacon strip, "Now eat your breakfast. I will be right back".

Felicity shut her mouth after that, watching Sara leave as she tried to eat her breakfast. She hadn't been eating a lot lately, not wanting to bother the woman by asking for more. In all honestly she hadn't been really in the eating mood lately with how complicated things were. Sipping her coffee she made her way through her breakfast. She was sure Sara noticed her skimping off food lately and she didn't want Nicholai's work to go to waste. Felicity was just about to ask Nicholai for some more coffee when she felt a chill run down her spine.

The hairs on the back of her neck rose as she tried to shake off the uncomfortable feeling. She couldn't. Feeling paranoid, she slowly turned and looked behind her shoulder only to find someone staring at her from down the hallway kitchen entrance. A woman with dark hair and ice blue eyes looked at her from head to toe as if she was analyzing her. Felicity couldn't stop the bad feeling that crept over her as the woman stared deep into her eyes before walked away, seemingly disinterested.

"Didn't your parents tell you it's impolite to stare?" a voice asked from the other side of the kitchen.

"Holy crap!" Felicity shouted as she jumped slightly on the stool, not expecting to find Roy at the other kitchen entrance. Nicholai had suddenly disappeared from the kitchen, leaving her with the Bratva version of an Abercrombie model, "You scared the hell out of me!"

"Maybe if you had been more aware of your surroundings you wouldn't be," he said in a reprimanding tone.

Felicity pushed her down cold plate away from her, "Fine, Yoda. Thank you for the insightful advice."

Roy ignored her comment, "Are you finished? The Captain wants to speak with you."

"Oliver? I thought he was at work," she said as she hopped off the stool and approached him. It was pretty late in the morning and she was pretty sure the Captain had a company to run.

Roy pushed the kitchen door open, "He likes to work out before he goes to Queen Consolidated. Come, I will take you to him."

Felicity followed him. She couldn't help asking, "I'm assuming he has a private gym too?"

She caught his snort as they turned down a side entrance, "Blondie, you have no idea."

* * *

Roy took Felicity through the mansion. In every room and hall they passed she could see men that she was sure worked for Bratva standing watch. They weren't as openly curious as she was but she could see the question in their eyes at the sight of her. Roy took her down another set of stairs before finally arriving at a large gym, a sauna, and an indoor heated pool.

She could hear the movement of the water before she could actually see him.

Oliver swan like he did everything else in his life: with strong, calculated and precise movements. For a few seconds she simply stared at him; the way that his body tore through that water as if it were parting for him, muscles working hard and pushing him across the pool. For the first time since arriving she acknowledged that he was a powerful and quite stunning man. A very dangerous combination.

Roy left her there, waiting for him to finish his laps and come up to her. He didn't. He just continued to do laps as if she wasn't there, passing by her with every lap. His stunning performance seemed to push to the background the longer he made her wait. When her patience was finally running thin, he seemed to come up to his senses. He swam to the side of the pool and with one single movement he pushed his body up and out of the water. It was like watching a movie in slow motion as she watched the water trail down his body; water clinging to his chest and legs. She watched as he stretched out his body for a second before picking up a towel and drying himself off. Felicity felt her mouth go dry.

It was hypnotizing.

She knew Oliver was a sight to behold, a very handsome man. It had just always gone down the drain as soon as he opened his mouth. And now he stood in front of her half naked and wet. And he hadn't opened his mouth yet. For the first time her eyes zeroed in on the signs of what made him The Crow. The night before she hadn't been able to see it all since he left his undershirt on. But now she could see it all; the tattoos and scars. Oliver's broad chest, lower abdomen, back and legs were a pattern of endless scars. Felicity recognized scars from bullet wounds, knifes, burns and some things she couldn't exactly identify. All told a story filled with pain and darkness.

The dark crow on his left pectoral, right where his heart beat, was like a warning sign for Felicity. The dark creature, the one that danced with death, was a reminder of who Oliver Queen actually was. A very dangerous and dark man. A man that had nothing else to lose and who was her partner. She would have to tread more lightly around him.

A throat cleared and Felicity was pulled out of her thoughts. Oliver was standing in front of her, enjoying the way that her cheeks flushed and how she bit her lip. He looked at her with the same curiosity that she had for him. When he caught her give his Bratva tattoo he closed off, face hardening and his whole posture changed. He didn't need her pity.

"You summoned me?" she asked, covering her embarrassment at being caught staring with indignation.

"Felicity. Let's not be difficult. The day has only started," he warned. They had a part to play after all.

"What can I do for you today, Oliver?" she asked again, holding her tongue. He was right. They didn't know who was listening.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked her, hanging the towel off his shoulders and holding the ends.

"You know the answer to that," she answered shortly, trying to mask her anger.

"True. If you weren't so stubborn you could have had a much more enjoyable night," he said calmly. To anyone listening the words would have meant more.

"Oliver, don't start. The days only started," she threw his words right back at him.

"Fine," he snapped, on the edge of giving up his calm. Felicity always pushed him to the edge, "That's not why I asked you to come here anyway. You're a big girl; you can make your own choices."

'Even if they're stupid ones' was implied.

"What did you want then?" she asked, trying to ignore the last part.

"I have another assignment for you," he said as he walked around her and towards a sitting area next to the pool. Felicity followed him. Oliver sat down without a care for his wet trunks.

"Which kind of assignment?" she asked, side eying him.

"You've done a good job with the mansions system. An excellent job. Right now its the safest system I've ever had. I want you to do the same thing for Queen Consolidated."

She sat up straight in her chair, "What?"

"Queen Consolidated has a very good security system, as well as a good inner system for all the trades and transactions that happen there. I paid well enough for it to be so. Yet, you were able to hack into my systems to find out all about me along with your hack into the mansion," Oliver said, his finger running over his lower lip as he stared at Felicity. She had forgotten about her time spent researching Oliver even before everything went down with The Triad, "I can't have that happening again. It's a risk I can't take."

"So you want to make your system at Queen Consolidated hacker proof? You have to know that not everyone is as good as I am? Not everyone would be able to get pass it's firewalls," she explained, not liking the turn this conversation was taking.

"Oh I'm well aware, Ms. Smoak. And if I have the best at my disposal, why shouldn't I take advantage of it?"

"I'm not at your disposal!" Felicity immediately said.

"Yes, you are. Plus we both know you're practically climbing the walls here like a caged animal. You'd enjoy sometime outside the mansion," Oliver said smugly as he saw Felicity weigh his words, "I need QC's system to be more than unreachable and unbreakable, Felicity. I need it to be perfect. To be more efficient. To be invisible. And the person that can give me that is you."

"Flattery isn't going to get you everywhere Oliver," she noted as she crossed her arms, "You're asking me to help you launder money. You want me to become a criminal."

"Oh sweetheart, don't kid yourself. Your hands are just as dirty as mine, even though you may think that all your noble acts are different from mine," he said with a raised eyebrow.

"I helped people," she hissed. That's why she had stuck with The Raiders for so long. They had been changing people's lives with the money they were taking from these people.

"So do I," Oliver countered, ignoring Felicity's dubious look, "Imagine what would happen if someone, if the wrong person, got inside QC's system. Imagine the kind of damage that it would do. Imagine what would happen."

"I don't know…you would spend the rest of your life in prison for instance?" she said with a small smirk that annoyed Oliver to no end.

"And over twenty thousand people would lose their jobs," he said, as she finally realized what he was trying to say, "In one month most of those people wouldn't be able to pay their mortgages, or save for their kids college funds, not to mention the pensions."

"What are you trying to say exactly, Oliver?" she asked him, glaring at him.

"I'm saying that Bratva and QC are connected and one needs the other. Imagine if for some reason my family business was destroyed somehow, the effects would be catastrophic. But if you help…things could be different. More secure," Oliver said, no longer trying to hide that he was trying to manipulate her. He knew her weakness for helping those in need. She wouldn't risk it.

"And who says I care about those people? They mean nothing to me," she said. Felicity wasn't sure if she was trying to convince him or herself.

"Oh, Ms. Smoak. You're right. You're a terrible liar."

"And you're despicable," she shot back as she slumped in her chair in defeat. Guess she was going to Queen Consolidated.

The corners of Oliver's lips ticked up, "And yet, I always get what I want."

* * *

Felicity paid no mind to Oliver as they drove to QC. She could feel his stare on her but she didn't care. Her eyes were solely focused on the world outside her window. It felt like ages since she'd been outside. A part of her was excited to see the streets, the people, the cars. Another part of her was scared. These streets held people, cars, and cameras that could lead someone as capable as China White to her. She was nervous to be at QC.

"Don't be nervous." &amp; "I'm not." were the only words exchanged by Oliver and Felicity.

Twenty minutes later they were pulling up to QC's private parking and crossing the main lobby with Diggle. Oliver kept her by his side as he greeted people. Felicity was surprised by how gracious and different Oliver looked as he gave his employees polite smiles and on one memorable occasion, even asked a man how his daughter's recital was. Him, Oliver Queen was asking someone about a dance recital. Felicity was sure that her eyes were about to fall out of her head.

When they reached the elevators Diggle directed them to the private elevator that took them to the executive floor. He left them at the elevator when they reached their floor, saying he would be in Oliver's office. Before she knew it she was walking through opulent looking halls with Oliver and being stopped by a British man with an air of authority to him.

"Oliver my boy," the man greeted, pulling Oliver into a hug.

Oliver greeted the man with the same enthusiasm, face devoid of its usual coldness, "Walter, how are you?"

"I'm well. How are you?" Walter said.

Oliver smiled, honest to god smiled, at Walter, "I'm doing well."

Walters's eyes landed on Felicity, "And who's this?"

Oliver placed a gentle hand on Felicity's shoulder. Even the way he touched her was gentler here at QC, "This is Felicity Smoak."

"I remember that name from somewhere. Have we met before?" Walter asked as he held out a hand to Felicity.

Shaking his hand she nodded. She'd analyze Oliver's switch in behavior at another time, "A couple years ago I was offered a place her. MIT Class of '09."

Walter smiled, "Yes, that's where I know you from. You were at the top of our recruiting list that year. Shame that you turned us down."

Felicity's smile was tight. She had turned them down all those years ago. And now she couldn't help wondering if she would have ended up at the same place she was in now if she'd accepted his offer. She wondered if she'd have met Oliver or eventually found out about his activities and work for Bratva.

"So what did you end up choosing since you turned down our offer?" Walter asked.

"Oh I ended up doing independent work. A consultant of sorts," Felicity answered. That was the smallest and easiest description she could give for what she had been doing for the past couple of years.

Oliver gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and spoke in a voice that almost sounded proud, "That's what she's here for Walter. She's still the top of her class and is here to check out our systems and give them an overhaul."

"Well we're glad to have you here Ms. Smoak. It took a couple years but we still got you," Walter said, still smiling.

Felicity liked Walter and couldn't help but return his smile, "Thank you. I'm glad to be here." Her eyes flickered to Oliver's and she could tell that he caught on to the sincerity in her voice. She might be still mad at Oliver and the way that he was pulling her around but Walter was personable and kind. She felt welcome by him.

"I'm going to escort Ms. Smoak here to the executive floor mainframe," Oliver said, steering them around Walter, "After that I can head over to your office to talk about a couple things."

Walter tipped his head, "Of course. Nice to meet Ms. Smoak. Welcome to Queen Consolidated."

"Thank you," Felicity replied before being swept away by Oliver down a hall and away from Walter. This was now the second occasion where Oliver's behavior truly baffled her. There had been kindness and familiarity with Walter.

When they reached the end of the hall Oliver took out a keycard and opened the door.

She gave pause. For the last couple days she had been working mainly off her new computer and monitored 24/7. Always stuck in that little room. Now she was standing at the edge of a room full of monitors and towering mainframes that were the top of the line and worth hundreds of thousands.

"You're going to let me work on this?" Felicity asked in a daze. She hadn't even realized she'd entered the room, hand running over a monitor.

Oliver gave her a slightly amused look as he closed the door and approached her, "Yes."

"I'm a lucky girl then," Felicity blurted out as she sat in the main chair.

Oliver remained silent for a couple seconds before speaking, "You remember when we were walking through the lobby, the elevator, the hall here?"

"Of course. It just happened."

"Those are the people that work for QC. The legitimate and legal side of QC."

She caught on to his train of thought, "The people that don't know about QC's secondary flow of business."

"Exactly. Those are the people that are vulnerable. That will lose their jobs and their livelihoods if someone like you doesn't work here to make sure that they're safe."

Felicity reeled back a bit in her chair, "Now you're guilting me into working on this for you?"

Oliver tilted his head, appraising her, "No. I'm just showing you who you can protect by taking this on. The difference between you and someone I can hire is that you care. All those people I said hi too, asked about their day, or their families. You'll make sure they're safe."

Felicity noted the lightness of his voice at the end and she felt her growing anger dim down some. That wasn't the tone of someone who didn't care about his employees. It wasn't even the tone that he used with Walter earlier.

"And you care?" she cautiously asked.

He tapped his fingers across the top of one of his monitors, "If I didn't I wouldn't ask you to do this Felicity. Show me that you're someone I can trust. Take care of these people." He pulled away and walked backward, eyes still on her, "Diggle will be in to check on you."

And then he walked out.

Felicity huffed a breathe as the door locked behind him, "He always does that."

She moved back and forth in her chair a bit. Oliver was right. Felicity would make sure that they were safe no matter how much she despised the truth of what she was doing, what she had done and no matter how much Oliver pulling her into this bothered her. He was giving her an opportunity here at QC. A chance for her to show him that he could trust her to assure his money laundering wouldn't be discovered. She wouldn't let this chance go to waste.

She powered up the computer.

* * *

Felicity spent about five hours at QC, looking over the QC security system and making sure that it was the top of the line. After she was done with it, it really was. A little before dinner Diggle brought her food and rushed her back to the mansion. Even thought Sara wasn't in her room earlier she wasn't surprised at the fact that Sara was in her room now. What she was surprised about was the fact that Sara was there to get her ready for her first public appearance with Oliver Queen.

Sara hadn't given her time to protest as she shoved her into the shower and then into a chair to curl her hair. All she could do is grumble under her breath about how Oliver was taking over every aspect of Felicity's life as Sara worked. After that was done she shoved her 'gently' into the walk-in closet with a command to wait there for her.

Felicity pulled gently at a curl as Sara brought a box over from the bedroom. Placing it down on the dresser she pulled out a white dress. "Put this on."

Felicity fingered the cut out sides of the dress. She was supposed to wear this? "You picked this out?"

"Oliver did," Sara answered as she pressed her hands against the back wall of the walk-in closet. The walls parted, showing a floor to ceiling to mirror.

Felicity looked up in awe, "How long has that been there?"

"Always," said as she motioned for Felicity to get started, "Now let's finish. Robe."

"How do you know all about this?" Felicity asked, leaving her modesty behind as she took off her robe and traded it for the white dress. Sara wasn't going to leave.

"Know what?" Sara replied curtly.

"All of this about clothes, shoes, jewelry, hair. How do you know all about it?" Felicity clarified as she slipped on the dress.

Sara helped Felicity tug down the bottom of the dress, "Older sister. She loved to play dress up. I was her unfortunate doll."

"And now I'm your doll?"

"More or less."

Sara became quiet again. Felicity couldn't stand the silence and asked another question.

"What should I expect tonight?"

Sara met Felicity's eyes in the mirror, "At the club? Or with Oliver?"

Felicity hadn't expected that reply, "Both. I just…I know where I am. Maybe I didn't totally realize it in the beginning when I was walking around a storm drain or asking Oliver for help, but now...I know Sara. I'm in the lion's den. Or The Crows den or whatever it's called. Point is that I'm somewhere dangerous. So I'd to know what to expect to keep me safe. To keep Oliver safe. Even you."

Sara hummed, "And the control you were muttering about earlier? About him taking over aspects of your life."

"Still true," Felicity began, fiddling with her dress, "He's taken control of a lot of things. But…fuck, it was my decision to come here. I'm going to do what I promised and not back down because things are getting hard, no matter how much I protest."

That seemed to be the answer that Sara was looking for, "Good." She zipped up Felicity's dress and did up the clasp before beginning to rummage around for some shoes for her to wear, "Verdant is one of the most exclusive clubs in Starling City. As the owner Oliver is seen there often by his workers in QC and the ones in the know of him as Bratva Captain. This time it will all be different."

"How so?" Felicity asked as she slipped on the heels Sara handed her.

"This time you will be on his arm. Oliver never appears at Verdant with a woman accompanying him. You'd be the first. It'll make a statement to everyone watching."

"That I'm his?" said with a hint of sourness. She was starting to give in to the fact that this was happening but it didn't stop her from feeling a twinge of anger at being treated as a possession.

"Correct," Sara answered, noting the look on Felicity's face, "He's putting himself in great danger for you. Tonight you are expected to stay by his side. Act like you're having a good time. Shoulders back, head up. And smile."

Sara handed over the makeup that she would be wearing tonight. Felicity applied it slowly but surely as she listened.

"Now I'm not going to threaten you. Tell you that if you don't do a good job I'll hurt you. What I will tell you is that this night is important for all of us."

Felicity held still at Sara's words. This entire conversation was the most that Sara had spoken to her since she'd gotten here. A warning was the first thing that she expected Sara to give her. She was surprised that it was the last thing she gave her, "Ok."

Sara gave her a once over before nodding in approval, "Oliver will guide you. Tell you anything else you need to know."

Felicity took a step back and gave herself the same once over. Even she could admit that Sara had done a good job. In another life maybe she'd have dressed like this and thought she looked beautiful. Because that's what she looked like right now, beautiful. While looking snug at first, the dress fit her perfectly along with the shoes. Even her hair looked nice; curled around her face.

Felicity was pulled from her thoughts by Sara.

She was holding up a small velvet box. She opened it to reveal a set of earrings. Felicity gapped like a fish at them. They were art deco earrings that were covered in diamonds and emeralds. They were beautiful and without a doubt expensive as hell.

"What did Oliver do, rob a jewelry store?" she blurted out. Her brain to mouth filter continued not to work.

There was the smallest of smiles on Sara's face for a split second as if she were remembering something, "No. This is from the Queen vault. They belong to Moira."

Felicity recognized the name immediately. Moira was Oliver's mother.

"I can't wear these. I…"

Sara took out the earrings and gave her a pointed look, "You will. Oliver wouldn't have given them to you to wear if he wasn't sure."

Felicity swallowed her trepidation down and nodded, "Ok."

She put the earrings in as Sara turned away and began to walk out of the walk-in closet, "I have to get dressed now. I'll be back when it's time."

Felicity only hesitated for a second before she turned to the woman and said, "Sara?"

Sara stopped at the door, expectant eyes on her. Felicity could tell that the woman had retreated back into her shell.

"You really care about Oliver don't you?"

"I owe him my life Felicity," Sara answered honestly, "Now so do you."

* * *

Verdant was pulsing with bright lights and a hypnotic fast beat. The dance floor was filled with grinding bodies while the sides were filled with laughing and drinking men and women. All were here for a good time and by the way people were pouring in it was going to be a good night. The club was famous for its insane parties and for its guest list, the rich and powerful frequenting the club. Those not on the guest list waited in line for hours, desperate for a taste of the most exclusive club of Starling City.

As soon as they had pulled up to the club, the crowd went into a frenzy, obviously recognizing Oliver's car. Both sensing her nervousness or wanting to play the part, Oliver had taken Felicity by the hand and lead her through the heavy crowd and up towards the metal stairs that would lead to the VIP room on the mezzanine. Roy and Sara had followed them and now stood next to them, always on guard as they watched the endless bodies that moved with the heavy beat.

Felicity almost pulled Oliver back to her when he went to get her a drink. Everyone was staring at her. They were staring at her outside, downstairs and now in the VIP room. All curious to see whom the blonde woman on Oliver's arm was. She caught Sara's eye for a second and the woman tipped her chin up. Felicity remembered her words from earlier and tried to relax and look pleased as Oliver returned to her.

"Here," Oliver said, handing her a flute of pink liquid. He led her over to a white u-shaped couch and sat next to her, their shoulders and knees touching.

"What is it?" she asked, with an arched eyebrow.

"Bollinger," Oliver said with a smile, leaning close to whisper into her ear. The place was loud. Felicity stared at the flute in confusion, "It's a rose champagne. You'll enjoy it."

"Thanks," she said uncertainly, looking down at it. She wasn't much of a drinker and certainly not the champagne kind.

She felt Oliver's breath ghost over cheek and she tried not to shift in place. She hadn't been this close to a man in a while. Especially one such as Oliver.

"To partnership," Oliver said, raising his glass.

"To partnership," she said as she clinked her glass against his, taking a small sip of the pink drink. "This is nice," she said, tasting the sweet beverage.

"You looked like you needed it," Oliver said, before taking a large sip from his flute.

Felicity didn't know what to make of the man that was sitting next to her. She wasn't used to this version of Oliver. Sure she had seen the light and caring version Oliver had shown to his employees and Walter at QC. But this was different. He was caring towards her and looked like she was the only one in the room. She reminded herself that it was all part of an act, all part of the game. Another mask that she had to wear too.

Felicity tried to think of something to say and only came up with, "So, you come here often?"

Catching the 'bad pickup line' Oliver nodded, "Yes, Ms. Smoak. I always come here."

He moved his arm to rest across the back of the couch, his fingertips softly touching the skin of her naked shoulder, making her tense.

"Relax," Oliver whispered in her ear. To an outsider it almost looked like an intimate act.

"Sorry," Felicity muttered. Oliver was close. Like really close, "I'm not sure what to do when you touch me with people staring."

"As opposed to when I touch you and people aren't staring?" Oliver asked.

Her hand came out and smacked him lightly on the stomach before she could stop herself. He was grinning at her! Grinning! "I'm serious Oliver."

He grabbed her hand and gave it a small kiss, "Well, for starters you could at least pretend you are enjoying my company."

She felt her face flush. This was going a bit too fast and it was suffocating.

Noticing her discomfort, Oliver finished his drink and got up on his feet, moving to whisper something to Roy, who listened carefully.

Felicity took the time to take a deep breath to calm herself. She could do this. Sara had told her what to expect and she wasn't going to let them down. She was building trust with Oliver here. Showing him that she could do what was needed even if there were staring eyes. She needed to play the part of the good loving girlfriend.

With trembling legs, she got up and trailed her hand up Oliver's back. He looked at her in question and she tilted her head to the balcony before leaving him and leaning against the balcony railing. She watched the crowd that danced below. They were all lost in themselves and ignorant of the things happening around them. And for a second, Felicity almost wished she could be just another face in the crowd, another pulsing body, another lost figure in the sway of the music.

"Don't move," she heard Oliver whisper in her ear. She had kind of invited him to follow after her but he'd still surprised her. Also his body was way to close to hers.

"What?" she asked softly as he took a step closer, her back to his front.

"Push your body back against mine," he said, his hands coming around her and laying on hers, caging her in his arms.

"Ok," she whispered, leaning back a little and trying to move her body as little as possible.

"Now, tilt your head back," Oliver whispered into her ear. This time running his nose over the shell of her ear. She thanked whatever celestial being was up there that she was turned away. He wasn't able to see how her eyes closed for a second. It felt good.

When she rested her head back on his shoulder he said, "Good. It has to look natural."

"This is as natural as it gets," she muttered, trying to not enjoy his hard body pressing against hers. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. She shouldn't feel small sparks all over her skin as he gently swayed them. She closed her eyes.

"They're watching," Oliver whispered as one of his hands fell down to her stomach, wide hand pressing her back against him.

She swallowed and didn't dare open her eyes even though it was dark. Instead she placed her free hand against the one on her stomach. His hand needed to stay there, "How do you know?"

"Because they are always watching," he answered, breath ghosting over her skin, "And pointing."

Her eyes opened in curiosity and she looked out at the crowd, "Where?"

If it was possible he pressed in closer to her as he directed her, "There. The one in the pink top by the bar."

Her eyes flicked over to the bar and she couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of her, "What is she wearing? Is that a scarf? Oh my god that's a scarf."

"Practically a handkerchief," Oliver commented with a huff that she could have sworn was laughter. Felicity turned to look at him in surprise. There faces were inches away.

"Did you just make a joke?" she asked.

Oliver gave a small shrug and pointed at something to the right, "Be grateful I didn't pick that dress."

Felicity looked over and caught sight of the red, white and blue monstrosity. She let out an unlady like laugh. "Pink hair dye in your shampoo Oliver. Pink. You wouldn't look that charming in pink," she warned lightly.

A strange and liberating feeling came over Oliver and he actually let out a laugh into her shoulder. At that moment he felt a bit less isolated with her there, her body pressed against his.

Felicity took the initiative and pointed at another dress, continuing their game of pointing out the ridiculously dressed people in the crowd. They continued like this for the next half hour or so. It was weird but somehow right, standing there with Oliver and laughing over something so simple.

It was when Felicity realized that her body had sunk back into Oliver's on its accord and his hand pressed against her stomach as she let out a loud laugh, that Felicity remembered where she was. She could tell that he felt her body stiffen as she turned to look into his blue eyes. They were light and not filled with the cold anger they usually held.

It felt like for a moment they had forgotten who they were. This was too much.

Turning her body slightly she spoke into his ear, "I think I'm going to get some air. Is…is that ok?"

He pulled back from her slowly, nodding as he came back to his senses; hand and body letting her go, "Yes. Take Sara with you."

She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile as she walked around him, "I'll be right back."

Oliver signaled for Sara to come over and she met Felicity half way, leading her down the mezzanine's steps. But it wasn't fast enough to escape that moment she had there with Oliver where everything melted away. Where she didn't feel guilt or anger. Where she actually laughed for the first time in weeks.

But what freaked her out the most is that she knew he felt it too.

* * *

Oliver watched as the lights shined on Felicity's white dress, creating a kaleidoscope of colors on her. She walked through the middle of the crowd, her body pushing against the others as she tried to distance herself from him, Sara following her close. He understood the need for space, the need to breathe a light and get some fresh air. Ever since she came into his life, Oliver's life had filled with a different kind of tension, something uncontrollable.

He knew he shouldn't be enjoying her company tonight as much as he was. He knew he shouldn't enjoy the way her hips looked in the short white dress, and he especially shouldn't enjoy the small shiver he saw running over her skin when he pressed his hand to her stomach. Yet, he took great pleasure to see her bodies' reaction to him. Maybe it was his male pride, or maybe it was a need to make sure that she felt something for him besides loathing. To make her tremble with something else. It was irrational and Oliver hated it.

He wasn't the kind of man that let his emotions lead him. No, he was rational, and in full control of his passions – something that he took great joy in. But he always followed his instincts, and those instincts were what kept him alive. But when it came to Felicity Smoak, she always got the best of him, always making him act in the most surprising ways. She knew how to push his buttons and Oliver hated that. He hated the lack of control. The explosive feelings that she could make him feel. Something that no one had ever been able to do before.

But…maybe his strong reactions had nothing to do with Felicity. Maybe they were just a response to the lack of release since Felicity's arrival. Between QC, Bratva and now Ms. Smoak, he had very little free time to engage in any extracurricular activity. It had been weeks since the last time he had been with Helena, and for a second Oliver contemplated calling her for a quick fuck. But as quick as the thought came to him it went away. Helena was as much trouble as she was gorgeous, and the last thing he needed was another complication in his life. She could ruin the delicate façade that he was trying so hard to build with Felicity. No, the risk was too high. One small step and it could all come crashing down on him…and her.

He would have to deal with his frustrations some other way.

Oliver wasn't sure what brought his attention to the commotion that lay below. Maybe it was the shift in the air or the change in the song. Either way his eyes were focused below to wear he could see Felicity. She was angry, snatching her arm away from a man that had touched her as she was returning to the VIP area. Oliver felt something well up inside of him as Sara came to stand in front of Felicity, warning the two men in front of them to back off. Before he could stop himself or think about what he was doing he was storming down to them, Roy close behind.

He pushed bodies away from him and opened a path to where Felicity and Sara were. The men were leering at Felicity as if she were up for grabbing. Once again, the irrational part of his brain won the fight.

One of the men reached out for Felicity as if Sara wasn't even standing there and Sara instantly was on him, pinning his arm behind his back and shoving him against a pillar. The man groaned out in pain and Oliver watched as Felicity's eyes turned fearful as the situation escalated.

Oliver watched in slow motion, as the other guy moved to touch Felicity's waist. She pushed his hands away from her small frame, but he insisted, using the distraction of Sara to try to push her body against his.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Oliver shouted, roughly shoving the dark haired man away from Felicity. The man crashed into a waiter holding a tray of drinks. Luckily only the drinks flew over the man, the waiter pulling back just in time.

"What the hell man?!" the dark haired man said as he came to his feet. He clearly had no clue who Oliver was.

"Touch her again, I dare you," Oliver seethed, his tone warning as he gently pulled Felicity closer to him and away from the strangers reach. His nostrils flared when her hands gripped his jacket. She was scared.

"She didn't have any company man. She was free game," the guy said with a slimy smile, "And if she's yours then maybe you should've kept an eye on her."

Before the guy could say anything else, Oliver's fist connected with the guy's jaw at an angle that sent him crashing across the floor and into a table. All watched as he didn't get up, didn't move.

"No one gets away with touching what is mine! Get this fucker out of my sight!" Oliver shouted, as Roy and two security guards took the man away. Sara followed them with the second man still in her hold.

Without a word Oliver steered Felicity back up to the VIP room. "Are you ok?" Oliver asked as he sat her down and handed her a glass. He was still seething and didn't know how to explain it, "Here, drink some water."

"I'm ok, Oliver," she said, taking the glass from his hands and finally looking into his eyes. The fear from earlier was creeping away and being replaced by her usual fiery tendencies. Good. "It's not the first time a guy hit on me in a club, you know. You can keep your cavemen tendencies to yourself."

"My cavemen tendencies?" he asked with an arched eyebrow as he sat down next to her. He knew what he was doing by challenging her and taking her mind off the brute downstairs.

"Yeah! You didn't need to punch that guy in the face! Sara had it under control."

"Clearly," Oliver said sarcastically as he picked up a shot of vodka and drank it. He could feel her eyes burning into the side of his face.

"Oliver, I have been taking care of myself since I was a little girl. Some drunk guy isn't going to change that," she snapped.

"It wasn't about that," Oliver said, refilling his shot glass with vodka. "This was about sending a message," he said before quickly taking the shot. Yes, he could do this. Spin his irrational need to go down there and get that man's hands off of her on the fact that they were putting on a show.

"What are you talking about?" she questioned in a mix of frustration and annoyance.

"You are here with me. People saw you with me. So I can't just as well let anyone try to touch you like that. They know this," Oliver whispered dangerously, "And by now, so should you."

"Know what?"

"That you are untouchable. Above all women in this place. Both as Oliver Queen's supposed girlfriend and as The Crow's partner. You are off limits, and now, everyone knows it."

"Oliver," she tried to argue, the fight going out of her. This is what they were planning to do all night and she agreed with him.

Oliver poured another shot before throwing an arm back Felicity, his fingers stroking over the hair at her nape, "I'm a very simple man, Felicity. My reputation precedes me. You are now part of this reputation. They won't cross me now when it comes to you. Understand?"

"Fine," Felicity sighed as she shook her head. She reached over and took the shot glass from Oliver and settled into his side, "Thank you for defending my 'womanly virtue' and letting everyone know I'm yours."

Oliver let out a small snort at her choice of words and tucked her close before turning his face into her warm neck, mask seemingly back on, "No one touches what's mine, Felicity. No one."

* * *

**A/N: We hope you guys have enjoyed this chapter!**

**We also know that things about to get real interesting in the show. Baked goods and wine for all! 3**

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**Love,**

**PoisonAngelMuse and TheAlternativeSource**


	6. Lost

**The Crow Chapter 6 – Lost**

**Disclaimer: **We own nothing but our plot and our own characters. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to DC Comics and CW Television. All rights over this idea and its concepts belong to us. This work is intended for the private enjoyment of the reader and is not to be shared on any other sites (besides AO3 and FF) or events without our express permission.

* * *

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**We hope you will enjoy the crazy ride that it is to come! (This one's a long one!)**

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**Link for The Crow Soundtrack - /lyra-aureus/the-crow-official-soundtrack**

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**Music – Lost by Kris Allen**

* * *

_I want to thank you for all your help__  
__Cause you're on to me, you're on to me I know__  
__You tell me all the bad things I didn't know about myself__  
__Yes, you're on to me, you're on to me I know_

_Maybe I'm lost__  
__Maybe I'm lost__  
__Well maybe I'm lost__  
__But at least I'm looking__  
__But at least I'm looking_

_I wish a cat would get your tongue__  
__Cause you're on to me, you're on to me I know__  
__You got your hands in your pocket__  
__And you pull out your wallet with your two cents for everyone__  
__Guess you're on to me, yeah, you're on to me I know_

_Maybe I'm lost__  
__Maybe I'm lost__  
__Well maybe I'm lost__  
__But at least I'm looking_

_Maybe I'm lost_

_Oh, maybe I'm lost__  
__Maybe you're lost__  
__Cause you're not looking__  
__Well at least I'm looking_

* * *

She peeked over at him. She had finally given in. And he was just lying there. Asleep as if nothing were going crazy in their world or that they weren't placed into an impossible situation where they were supposed to be in a serious relationship. Oh no Oliver Queen just slept on. Arm wrapped around the pillow barrier that she had erected between them, effectively destroying the wall as he 'snuggled' up.

Letting out a sigh Felicity looked up at the ceiling. She was on her back, warm and comfortable for the first time in days. Not a sore muscle in her body.

Yesterday night she had finally given in. After 4 days of barely sleeping, her body aching from sleeping on that surprisingly uncomfortable couch, she had finally caved. She had picked up her pillow, ignored Oliver's curious and knowing gaze, and laid down on the empty side that Oliver always left for her. And God did she feel good. It's like the bed was made out of clouds that wrapped around her and pulled her into sleep almost instantly. No wonder Oliver would sleep like the dead when in this bed. It was fantastic.

Of course she wouldn't tell him any of this or tell him thank you for leaving her a side of the bed open.

They had been…weird for the last couple days. Ever since the club. After Oliver had gone caveman on her and admittedly saved her from a brute that was getting too handsy, they had spent about a half an hour at the club. Oliver had kept her close to his side, face tucked into her neck as she ran small circles over his thigh. Neither spoke of the easy moment they had earlier when they were observing people's devastating wardrobe choices or how he had protected her. They just sat there continuing their small game of people watching as if nothing happened.

When they returned 'home' they had parted ways to change before ending up in Oliver's room and clunking out as agreed. For the next 4 days neither spoke of what happened at the club. Hell they barely even talked! Oliver would be gone by the time she woke up, already at QC. And when she got to QC thanks to Diggle, she was quarantined away in the executive floor mainframe room, typing away. He still treated her fine but there was a new ease to it.

Being who she was she started doing something that would only lead her down a dangerous path with no possible way of turning back. She started watching him, observing him. Felicity noted some interesting habits almost instantly. She noted how before going to bed he did a cursory check of the room. With his pistol in hand he checked every nook and cranny of his room as if someone was waiting in hiding for him. She shuddered at the thought of what could have lead to such a daily habit. She also noted how he wouldn't look at her when he would take off his shirt and slip into his bed with only his pajama bottoms on, as if avoiding her searching eyes. She wanted to know how he got those scars but she held her tongue, knowing that he wouldn't want her pity or questions.

The most interesting of habits, well besides sleeping with a gun on the night stand right next to him, was that he had a book that he read through before bed. She'd only caught him doing it twice but she could tell that it was a well-worn copy of a book he kept in his side table. When he thought she wasn't looking he would pull it out and flip through the pages lazily with the most relaxed face Felicity had ever seen on him. He still looked a bit closed off and cold but…there was a gentleness to his face. He was remembering things and a part of her wanted to know why.

That was the most startling fact of all. She wanted to know why he had those scars? Why he peeked at that book with such reverence? Why he was so hard and cold with the world except for a few? And why there had been a break in his armor and hers the other night? Why he had laughed with her and why had she felt like something had eased a bit between them? She wanted to know why but again she held her tongue. She couldn't ask these things without opening an even bigger can of worms.

Today was the first time that she actually woke up before him.

Since he was always gone before she got up she didn't know what to do. Should she get up and start getting ready for the day, even though John always took her into work after a late lunch? Should she wake him up? Maybe he had actually slept in and she was waking up at her regular time?

"I can hear your thoughts all the way over here," a sleepy voice said.

She turned her head quickly. Oliver was awake, his face peeking over the pillow barrier.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked in a low voice.

The corner of his mouth lifted in a sleepy grin and Felicity couldn't help the way her eyes zeroed in on it. He looked transformed.

His eyes slipped close for a second as he yawned, "Long enough."

He rolled out of bed and padded over to the bathroom with his pajama bottoms low on his hips. Her eyes followed him. She wouldn't admit it under oath but…she was glad that she had woken up early. She pulled the comforter over her, without a doubt, flushed face and listened to him close the bathroom door behind him.

The door opened a couple minutes later and she heard him cross the room to his walk-in closet. Curling her fingers over the edge she pulled it down and peeked over at him. When she saw him shimmying out of his pajama bottoms she covered her face again.

"What are you doing?" she called out.

"Changing," Oliver answered, as if it was obvious. A drawer opened and closed.

She'd never really seen his morning routine. She paused before asking, "Going to work?"

"No, jog," he answered. His voice sounded closer than expected. She peeked out again to only come face to face with Oliver's smug face hovering over her. He knew she was hiding. He knew that she had seen, "What are you doing?"

She pulled her hands up and smoothed it over her torso, trying to exude confidence. "Nothing," she answered.

He gave a small hum, which somehow told her how much he believed her, before moving over to his nightstand. He was just pulling on an armband for his iPod when an idea just spilled out of her mouth.

"Want company?" Felicity almost took back the words at his surprised look, "You know so people, aka Anya, can see us together. Doing things. Plus I wouldn't mind getting a bit out of the house, which I assume you jog around. Get some fresh air."

He raised an eyebrow but didn't rebuff her idea, "The gardens. I run around the gardens."

"Oh. Well…do you think it's a good idea? Jog?" she asked, pulling herself to sit up in the bed.

Oliver placed the armband back on his nightstand with a nod. It was a way for both of them to talk a bit more and work on their 'relationship', "I'll wait for you downstairs. Do you remember how to get down to the rose bushes?"

Felicity nodded, excited at the prospect of seeing the roses again. Maybe her mind was working for her, not against her. Oliver returned her nod and then just left the room as she pulled herself out of her warm and soft cocoon.

Five minutes later she was walking up to Oliver dressed in a pink workout top and form fitting black capris. She kept silent as she watched him stretch. She hadn't noticed before but he was wearing black workout pants with a grey shirt. But they weren't just any black workout pants. They were those tight ones that frequent runners wore. She shifted uncomfortably when he began a set of lunges. The fabric…tightening across certain areas.

She felt her mouth go dry.

Sensing her presence Oliver gave her the barest of smiles. For a second Felicity thought that he was doing it because he was happy or maybe a morning person, until he opened his mouth.

"Smile while you walk towards me. Lots of windows behind you," he said, eyes flickering behind her.

Felicity tried giving the realest smile that she could manage, "Hi."

Oliver chuckled and began a stork stretch, "Good thing anyone watching will only see you from the side or behind. You look like you're in pain."

Following his example Felicity smiled a bit more widely, baring her teeth. The sleepy and easy Oliver was disappearing and presenting her with his usual brooding self who liked to keep her close and ruffle her feathers, "Better?"

"Loads," he replied simply, beginning a set of calf raises. He had been absent from her presence and fiery tendencies as of late as a means of controlling the emotions that had broken through at the club. But even now she pushed at him, "Start stretching. Wouldn't want you to get a cramp."

Felicity narrowed her eyes a bit before she began stretching, sure that there was an insult somewhere in there. When he deemed them warmed up enough he started a light jog, "Come on."

Neither said a word as they started a light pace, rounding the rose bushes and beginning on a path that seemed to wrap around the house and push off into the gardens. It was hard those first couple of minutes. They didn't know what to say to each other or if they should say something to each other to begin with while they ran. Besides that small bright moment in the club, they had never spent time around each other without snarking or throwing mildly murderous comments at each other. Could they have another moment like in the club?

When they reached the gardens their pace picked up a bit as they ran right next to each other. It was a beautiful place and she hoped that Oliver would let her return.

"Who did all this?" she asked as they passed by a set of oak trees with soft looking purple flowers all around them. The gardens were bigger than she expected.

Without looking at her he answered, "My mother."

Felicity's eyes widened on their own accord, "She did all this? It's beautiful."

He steered them around the garden for about a minute in silence. His mother had done a beautiful job. She had transformed this place into an area where he could go back and remember how it was before. A place that he had never taken anyone around before. He reeled himself in before saying, "It is."

Noticing his demeanor starting to close off again, Felicity asked, "Is this what you're supposed to wear when you're jogging?"

This time he did look at her, "What?"

Felicity pointed at herself. They were both starting to sweat, chests rising and falling steadily as they moved, "What I'm wearing. Is it what you usually wear to jog?"

Oliver gave her a once over glance; even glancing at her swinging ponytail. He nodded in approval, "Yes."

Her eyes trailed down his legs a little before coming up to latch onto his blue eyes, "Oh."

"Oh? What do you mean by oh?" Oliver asked as they passed by some tulips. They were really into the gardens now. "Fe-li-city?" he said in annoyance, "Oh?"

She wanted to push him over for the tone that he used with her but she'd just be destroying flowers. They deserved better, "Nothing. Was just wondering if it was standard protocol for the Bratva Captain to be wearing yoga pants."

A grunt of indignation was followed by a yelp of surprise. Felicity felt her feet come out from underneath her as she crashed to the ground right alongside Oliver. She scrambled to her hands and knees quickly; looking over to make sure that Oliver was ok when she froze. While she had landed on the dirt path…Oliver had landed in something else.

She watched as Oliver pushed himself up. He gasped as he wiped at his face with his fingers before using his shirt. When he finally sat up and looked at her his eyes were daring her to say anything, to laugh.

Felicity pressed her lips together, a laugh threatening to escape out of her. Oliver's glare seemed less effective as he sat there next to a patch of mud and water that he had unfortunately face planted into after she questioned his choice in sportswear.

She opened her mouth and Oliver pointed at her in warning. She took a small calming breath before bulldozing through, "Did you just trip into mud after I asked you about your yoga pants?"

Oliver sputtered, looking down at his pants, "They are not yoga pants!"

"I don't know. Could have fooled me," Felicity couldn't hold back the smile that spread across her face, "That's a good look on you."

Oliver said nothing as he scowled at her and stood up. There was mud all over his front. The material of his shirt now dark as it plastered itself against Oliver's skin, muscles now defined and obvious. The same thing could be said about his pants. Which happened to be level with her face.

Standing up quickly she was prepared for Oliver's scowling and mud-covered face staring her down into some sort of submission. What she didn't prepare for was something cold splattering across her face and glasses. Spitting out the little bit of mud that got into her mouth she removed her glasses slowly. Oliver was just standing there, looking at her like the cat that got the canary, "Looks good on you too."

The laugh Felicity had been holding in finally escaped her, making Oliver's shoulders slowly relax as the corners of his mouth tugged up into a smile. He wasn't exactly smiling but he wasn't scowling either.

She had a nice laugh. Soft and sweet.

He had a nice smile. Small but fitting.

Once more they both felt like they were separated from the situation that they had found themselves in, the dangerous lives they were living. And before they both could realize what they were doing or how the air had shifted around them Oliver scraped a handful of mud off his front and flicked it at her, splattering her shirt and neck with brown. Her mouth opened in shock as Oliver took a step around the mud/rain puddle, eyes still on her, intrigued at the turn of events instead of the anger and cold she had come to expect from him.

When he ran from her she gave chase not knowing that she wasn't the only one intrigued about how their relationship was shifting. In fact, from Diggle spot in the security room that held the grounds cameras, he was a little more concerned by the shift in his Captains behavior.

* * *

The sounds of heavy breathing and the crashing of batons resonated off the walls of the mansions training room/gym. Oliver and John moved in perfect synchrony, years of experience making them used to this dance. Their arms rose and fell, batons clashing as they swiped at each other in a frantic rhythm.

"Focus, Oliver," Diggle said as he caught Oliver's arm with one of the batons.

"You just caught me by surprise, John," Oliver said, moving quickly to deflect Diggle's next strike.

"It wouldn't be the first time," John said, moving more aggressively as Oliver kept up with him, "You need to keep your head in the game."

Oliver moved quickly, hitting Diggle's back. The man flinched in pain and twisted away from another baton swinging arm.

"Who's distracted now?" Oliver asked smugly.

"You ever since that girl came to this house," Diggle shot back, moving to hit Oliver behind the knee, sending the Captain rolling down on the training mats.

"Fuck," Oliver hissed as he rolled up and got back on his feet.

"I'm serious, Oliver," Diggle said as he dropped his arms to his sides and picked up a towel near by. He dried off his face before looking up at Oliver's imposing stare.

"Diggle, she's here for a purpose. You know that," Oliver said freely, as he knew that no one was close, and that the room had an anti-bugging device.

"What purpose? To look good on your arm and warm your bed, while she takes you down the road to certain death?" Diggle said in annoyance. He had insisted for Oliver to let it go, that it was too dangerous to bring another person into their plan. But Oliver was stubborn, and wouldn't listen. His thirst for vengeance blinding him and now changing him.

"It's not like that. We're partners, nothing more," Oliver said, dropping his batons on a table and picking up a water bottle.

"Oliver, don't take me for a fool. I saw the way you were looking at her yesterday while on your run," John said, reminding Oliver of the teasing that had occurred during their 'mud' fight. John continued, "Cameras everywhere Oliver. Especially the grounds. I see the way you've been acting lately. The way both of you have been acting."

"It's not like that…I need her Diggle," Oliver insisted, annoyed to have to explain himself and his behavior. He wasn't a child; he knew what he was doing.

"You need her? Since when does The Crow need anyone?" Diggle asked dubiously, placing his hands on his hips and tilting his head.

Oliver gripped his bottle, the plastic crackling, "Since I spent the last twenty years failing in achieve the only thing I desire in my life."

"And you're so consumed by your vengeance that you can't even see how dangerous this game that you're playing actually is. You barely know that girl."

"I know her enough," Oliver hissed as he threw the bottle down and dried his face and chest off with a towel. He would not let anyone question what he was doing with Felicity. Not even Diggle.

"Oliver you're not seeing things clearly. You're letting that girl get too deep into this. I saw the way you smiled at her after your jog. It was small and you didn't even notice it probably. Hell I don't even know if she did, but I saw it. Small but there. You're letting her into a world that is too dark for her."

Oliver dropped the towel and stepped closer to Diggle. He had noticed the smile, "Felicity is a big girl John. She can make her own choices."

"Really?" Diggle said, crossing his arms against his chest as he looked straight at Oliver. Not backing down from his hard stare, "So let's assume that this plan of yours works out. Then what? Are you going to let her walk out of here and go back to her regular life? She knows too much already. You know this."

Oliver took a calming breath. He was getting angry. But this wasn't someone who worked for him as security or an associate. This was a friend. And a part of him understood, they hadn't talked about these things. In fact Oliver hadn't thought of the future; of when this was over. "She won't intervene in Bratva business. She won't have anything to do with any of this," Oliver insisted.

"And this is Oliver Queen or The Crow talking? Is your heart or your brain in control of this?"

"Diggle, don't be ridiculous. You're seeing problems where there are none," Oliver said in annoyance as he walked away, back to Diggle as he stepped up to the salmon ladder. Even though he heard John's approaching steps he grabbed the bar and began climbing the rungs.

"The problem is that you're getting too close to her. You're letting your personal feelings get involved in this. Your head's not in the game, Oliver," John said from below.

"There are reasons for the way I'm acting," Oliver explained with a grunt, as he climbed another rung of the ladder. Yes, this would explain it away to Diggle, "You know I'm not the kind of man that acts on raw emotion, the one that lets them guide him. It's all part of the plan. I know what I'm doing, John."

"So that's why you knocked a man down for trying to get handsy with her?" Diggle inquired, a touch of disbelief in his voice. Oliver ignored him, "You send a man to the hospital for touching a girl that means nothing to you? I don't think so."

"I had to send a clear message. No one will come after her now."

Diggle sighed before trying again, "Oliver, you need to think this through, man. This vengeance of yours is driving you mad. And you will end up making a mistake that will cost your life. And no matter how much I want to see them burn, I also don't want to have to bury your dead body along with hers."

Oliver dropped down from the ladder. He couldn't concentrate, "John, I have no other choice. I promised Felicity that I would keep her safe, and that is what I'm going to do. And this is the way. It's done."

Diggle looked away for a second, collecting himself. "If this is what you really want Oliver…then we will keep her safe. We will find a safe house for her. We can even work along with her on this ridiculous plan of yours. But you need to take a step back. Before things get even more complicated."

"I can't do that," Oliver said, running his hands over his face in frustration. He didn't want to think of her not being nearby where he could protect her.

"Why not? People will just assume it was just a random fling. They will soon forget all about her."

Oliver pulled his hands away from his face and growled out, "Because Anatoly expects me to bring her to Russia with me in two weeks."

"Damn it Oliver," John said in shock, mind running over scenarios of how this could go so wrong, "Now what? He will know you're lying the moment you step into that house."

"Don't you think I know that?! Why do you think I'm trying so hard to keep her by my side all the time? Why I'm trying to get along with her? Why she's trying?" Oliver said, throwing his hands in the air, "I have no other choice, John. Anatoly will know something is up if we mysteriously breakup before our trip."

"I guess you two need to pick up the pace then," Diggle said, shaking his head, "Get to know each other better."

"I know. I'm working on it," Oliver said, thinking about what he had planned for the next few days, "I need to keep our cover at all costs. If having to sleep in the same bedroom and having her pose as my girlfriend to the public is what we have to do then so be it. But I need to keep her alive."

"Oh, Oliver," Diggle said, a sadness filling his voice, "For such a smart man, sometimes you can be pretty stupid."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You're trying to convince yourself that all you need Felicity for is to be your tech girl. That she will find a way to get where we never could. That you will protect her because you need her alive and not because the lines you've built have already started to blur," John argued.

The unspoken words that he was starting to care were there between the lines but Oliver shook them off. Diggle was wrong, "John, we're just playing a part. I just need to fool Anatoly."

John walked over to the weapons cabinet to start their next round of training. He wasn't going to get anywhere with his Captain tonight, "Yes Oliver, you are. Except the only person you're fooling now is yourself."

* * *

Felicity sat on her 'old bed', back against the headboard as her hands flew over her tablet. She was working on a code for the new mainframe she was developing for Queen Consolidated. She'd been allowed to stay home and work on this bit since it was a small patch that would be handed over to developers at QC that could implement it. She was just sliding down the bed, looking forward to finding a comfortable spot to work in, when someone knocked on her door.

"Come in!" she yelled, putting the tablet on her lap as she sat up.

"Hi," Oliver said, opening the door and stepping through.

"Hi," she replied, a curious look in her eyes. She was starting to get used to Oliver entering like this but today was a bit different, "I thought you'd gone to work."

"I did, but I needed to show you something," Oliver said, stopping short of her bed.

"And it couldn't wait until tonight? I'm sure the world of mergers and acquisitions will miss QC's CEO in the middle of the day," she said with a hint of humor as a small smirk fashioned itself on Oliver's face.

"I happen to have a really well paid group of employees to take care of such things in my absence, Ms. Smoak," he said back in the same tone, shoving his hands deep inside his suit pants, "Besides, this is the perfect time for me to show you."

"If there's one thing you should know about me is that I hate mysteries," Felicity said as she got up and slipped on her shoes.

"I'm well aware," Oliver said as he handed Felicity her coat and purse that sat in her sitting area, "Shall we?"

She snatched up her still new tablet and phone and deposited them in her bag, "Yeah, ready."

When they reached the front door of the mansion a luxurious looking car was waiting for them. In true gentleman fashion Oliver opened her door before going around the car and getting into the drivers seat. She said nothing of it in case inquisitive ears were near by.

"No bodyguard?" she asked, wondering where John Diggle could be. He seemed to always be attached to Oliver's side.

Oliver turned on the car and pulled away from the mansion, "No. Today it's only you and me."

They drove out of the gated community and towards the center of Starling City known as the Glades. It took them half an hour to get there. As soon as Oliver parked his car off a back entrance of his club Verdant, Felicity couldn't hold it back anymore.

"What are we doing at your club?" she asked, confused and intrigued as she looked through the cars tinted windows.

"You'll see," he said stepping out of the vehicle. Felicity stepped out as well and waited for him to come around the car. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her forward, "Come, I need to show you something."

They made their way towards the club's back door where Oliver typed a security code into a number pad before the door opened. He did the same thing when they were inside, typing in a code to secure the building. Turning on the lights he walked forward, Felicity following him close behind.

They descended a long metal staircase and entered what could be best described as a large basement. It was dark, but evident enough from their footsteps echoing, that they were in a large room with a high ceiling. The smell of dank air showed that the place had been closed up for way too long. Oliver stepped away from her and pushed a button against a wall. When the room lit up, Felicity had been right. It was a large concrete basement below Verdant. In the center of the room endless large boxes were stacked up and waiting to be opened.

"Oliver? What's going on?" she asked, now even more confused than before. "Please, tell me this isn't some sort of sex dungeon where you bring unsuspecting girls to do kinky and probably filthy things to?" she rambled, looking around the cold and empty room.

"No, Felicity. This isn't my play room," he deadpanned. He caught her eye and knew that she caught the bit of humor. He held his hands out, "This is our new base of operations."

Felicity stepped up to the large boxes. There were no identifying markers on them, "What? Here?"

Oliver came to stand next to her, "This used to be a steel foundry of Queen Consolidated around the time my family was murdered. They closed it off after a few years. When I got back to Starling City I decided to turn it into a club so I would have a place to discuss certain matters that I didn't want to speak about at QC or at the mansion."

"So this is a facet for Bratva?"

"Not exactly. But it also works for that purpose. So no one will suspect a thing if you and I spend a large amount of time here. This is the perfect location. Safe and far away from prying eyes," Oliver explained.

"So you want us to have a super-secret lair below your club, so we can plot to ruin a powerful criminal organization that murdered both our families?"

They both took a moment to mull over the fact that Felicity had managed to simplify their motives and pasts into one sentence.

"Essentially," he answered as he took down a box and pulled out his keys.

"Great. When do we start?" she asked him, curiosity and confusion being pushed aside to be replaced with excitement.

"Around the time you get this all set up and running," Oliver said, opening one of the boxes to show Felicity her equipment. He watched her eyes light up at some of the familiar equipment, "It was delivered yesterday, every item on your list."

"Really? Wow that was fast," she said, voice full of awe as she looked over the processor in the box that Oliver had opened. It was like saying hello to an old friend.

"That tends to happen when it's a QC order, no matter how many shell companies I had to run it through," Oliver said smugly, closing up the box and looking at all the rest, "Do you think you can set all of these up by yourself?"

"Sure, I've been building these babies on my own since I was a kid," Felicity said proudly as she held out her hand for Oliver's keys. He handed them over and she opened one box after another, "It'll take a few days though. I need to set the mainframe, the data server, and not to mention increase security and the lock to this place."

"I'll send Sara and Roy to help you then," Oliver said, clearly pleased with her answer, "They should be upstairs already."

"Great," she said, fingers tracing over a new and custom monitor that he'd gotten her. He'd gotten her everything she'd asked for. "I never thought that I would be happy to spend endless hours locked in a dark and humid basement. I wonder what that says about me," she rambled as she pushed packing peanuts away and uncovered more technological treasure. Oliver wanted to laugh, but he held himself back. He just watched her.

"We can add more light in here, Felicity. The concrete walls and ceiling may make this place cold, but I assume that will be good for the computers," Oliver said as Felicity stopped to look at him. He thought he'd said something wrong but Felicity smiled and nodded in agreement, "The steel door on the alley side we entered, as well as the one inside Verdant, are electronically locked and I'm sure you can update and upgrade the security systems all on your own. Only 5 people will have access to all of this, so you will be safe in here."

"Good," she said, taking a deep breath and taking one long look around the foundry. She had a lot of work to do to finally get this going. She held out the keys she'd been using. He had done much more than she could/would ever have expected him to. And it just wasn't today, "Thank you, Oliver."

"Don't thank me yet. This is the real first step in a long ride to get those fuckers." Oliver said, as he looked at the boxes around them, "I'll let you start then. Let me know when the system is fully operational."

"Wait, you want me to start now?" she asked incredulously.

He walked backwards a couple steps and had the nerve to say, "No time like the present."

* * *

She didn't even wait for Sara and Roy to come down and help her. As soon as Oliver was gone she walked around the foundry, looking for outlets and places where they could put more lights. After sketching it all out on her tablet she popped open the boxes and started pulling things out. When Sara and Roy finally came down the stairs, it was to find her with a huge grin on her face and surrounded by packing peanuts and equipment. Three bags of those little bastards being thrown away and folding the boxes up to be recycled and she was surrounded by piles of equipment.

Sara and Roy were quiet but perfect assistants. Hell even Felicity didn't talk besides telling them where to move things because she was too in awe. Oliver had bought her ALL of the things on her list. He had gotten it all without question, some familiar equipment and some new. And even something small and special that she had added last minute.

When everything was in its supposed place she sent Sara and Roy around the foundry and the the office Oliver had upstairs, installing anti-bugging devices. Her stomach growled rather loudly when they returned and Roy went out to get pizza while Sara took the trash out to the dumpster. Since there wasn't much for Sara to do since everything was in its place and it was up to Felicity to connect it how she liked it, she'd sat down in a chair nearby (also on her list) and just…waited.

Felicity had ended up on her stomach across the foundry and under some equipment, her legs swinging back and forth as she sang, when Roy returned.

"Your love keeps lifting me higher and higher," Felicity sang under her breath as she connected another wire, "Your love keeps lifting me."

"Are you singing the song from Ghostbusters?" a voice asked.

She jumped a little at the voice. It was Roy. Pulling herself out from under the desk she looked up at him chewing on a slice of pizza. "Ghostbusters 2 to be exact," she said as she stood and dusted off her jeans, "When'd you get back?"

Ray hummed, face relaxed as he surveyed her, before answering, "About five minutes ago when you were singing Lollipop."

She shrugged, not embarrassed at all. This was the first time that she'd really talked to Roy, "Used to sing them when I was little. Usually when working on stuff."

Roy took another bite of his pizza and turned around. Felicity followed and saw a spread of pizza, plates, and drinks. Roy sat down next to where Sara was already eating and Felicity ended up sitting across from them with a slice of Hawaiian pizza.

Felicity could do calm and collected moments. She could even do tense and angry moments, most with Oliver nowadays. What she couldn't do was weird awkward moments. Because that's what it was between them all. Weird. Sara had been the one to watch her day in and day out while Roy she could count on one hand how many times she'd seen him.

"So…" Felicity began hesitantly, "Thank you for the help."

Sara nodded but said nothing. Roy's face was different, the corners of his mouth turning down and twisted, "Captain commanded it."

Felicity saw the hint of challenge in his words. How he wasn't there to help her out of his own choice. How he didn't want to. Placing her pizza back on the plate she pinned him with her eyes, "While there's nothing wrong with loyalty, why do you seem so sour about it now?"

It was like she dropped a bomb. Sara stopped messing around with her phone and Roy stopped eating. Felicity was just about to say something else when Roy spoke up.

"You don't know what you're talking about, blondie."

Felicity resisted the urge to touch her new hair, "Oh really. Enlighten me about Oliver Queen and his lost boys, or girls. Sorry Sara."

Sara shrugged.

"I do what my Captain's asks," Roy's jaw twitched. He wanted to say a lot more, "That's it."

"So if he asked you to jump off a bridge or take a bullet for him you would?"

Roy sighed in irritation, "I'm here because I'm told. Why the hell are you asking me this for? Testing my loyalty to Oliver?"

Felicity reeled back, "No. Just wondering why the hell you're here if you don't want to be. All I said was thank you and you decided to give a rude answer with a matching sour look."

"It wasn't…"

"Yes, it was."

"Roy stop," Sara cut in, "You baited her." She then pointed at Felicity, "You baited him too. No more."

Roy and Sara had a silent conversation before he deflated, grabbed his pizza and continued to eat, ignoring both of them. He was a bit defensive when it came to his Captain and his loyalties being questioned.

Feeling chastized Felicity swallowed her anger and spoke to Sara, seeing opportunity to ask something that had been bothering her, "I know you told me before that you owed your life to Oliver and that I needed to earn his trust because I owed him mine."

Sara grabbed a slice of pizza and raised an eyebrow, "Yes, I did."

"But…is that what he does? Surrounds himself like Peter Pan with lost people because he wants too? Because he chose you out of some kindness?" Felicity asked. She wanted to know how Oliver didn't trust his own brotherhood but trusted this small group of people. She also wanted to know if the way he was treating her was normal or different. He had been treating her with a kindness she had never experienced before, one full of rough edges but still there.

"Are you asking for us or about you?" Sara countered, catching her train of thought.

"Well…I guess for me. We're working close...to destroy the people that took our families from us," Felicity swallowed the feelings that rolled over her at the reminder, "I just want to know what it all means. I mean I…barged into his life."

"He chose you Felicity. And he doesn't chose lightly. It might not seem like he trusts you or that he even wants to be around you, but Oliver doesn't pick people and then just drop them," Roy answered for Sara, eyes once more trained on Felicity, "Even if they barge in after slipping through security."

Felicity shook her head. She was being misunderstood, "No, it's not that. I think he trusts me. Maybe doesn't totally enjoy my company but he trusts me and I trust him. I just didn't understand how after I just barged in like I did. He's…different. Good different."

"Oliver's a good man. Hard but good," Sara agreed, "And Roy's right. Oliver chose you. And if you feel like he trusts you and you trust him, then keep at that."

Felicity relaxed back at the words for a moment. The way that he treated her in the beginning in comparison to how he treated her now…it wasn't horrible. It was just...shifting and dare she say, even blurring into something else. And it was all because of the trust they had been gaining between them.

Roy and Sara were two prime examples of being chosen and trusted. Two people who were saved by Oliver and became two of the few who he trusted. She felt like an ass for calling them Oliver's 'lost boys &amp; girls'.

Grabbing one of the sodas from the pile next to her she held it out to Roy. Sara watched them, waiting for another blowout, "I'm sorry for jumping down your throat. Truce?"

Roy pursed his lips for a second before taking the soda offered, "Truce."

Felicity grinned and offered Sara a soda as well. She took it gratefully before continuing to eat her food. This time the air wasn't so uncomfortably weird.

When they were done with the food Felicity helped them clean up before moving back to finish the work she'd been doing on her belly under some equipment. When her new phone rang she put it on speaker and continued working.

"Hello," Felicity answered.

Oliver's voice came through clear, "Hi, how's it going down there?"

"Pretty good. Sara and Roy helped me unpack and set everything up. Now I'm this close," she pinched her fingers in front of her even though Oliver couldn't see, "to getting the internet working down here."

"Good," Oliver replied, "I'm calling because in an hour John's going to swing by and pick you up before coming to get me."

"Oh," Felicity said, looking over at the phone, "Girlfriend duties?"

When he didn't say anything Felicity checked if the call had dropped. It didn't.

"Oliver?"

"I'm here," he answered, "Yes, girlfriend duties. Felicity would you like to go to dinner with me?"

She didn't comment on the way he worded the question. If this was supposed to be a farce full of trust then why did he have to ask like that?

"Sure. I mean I'd…love to."

"Good. See you in an hour?"

Felicity nodded before remembering that he couldn't see her, "Yes. See you in an hour."

They said their goodbyes before hanging up.

Felicity sat unmoving. Oliver Queen aka the Bratva Captain had asked her out on a date. If it was part of the farce they were trying to pull then why did she feel weird. Like that one time Jimmy Roberts from 8th grade asked her out to the fall dance. No…Felicity denied, trying to shake off the weird flutter in her stomach. They were partners who trusted each other and for all she knew there might have been someone near by when he asked her, making the way he worded it necessary.

He was just taking her to dinner. Nothing more.

* * *

As promised John came and picked her up from Verdant and swung by QC to get Oliver. It was on their way back to the mansion that Oliver told her where they were going. He was taking her to one of the best Italian restaurants in the city. After a quick change into a red dress that Oliver without a doubt picked, they were in the car and on their way.

John dropped them off at the front of the restaurant. Oliver promised that he would be nearby. As would Sarah and Roy. Apparently they were never too far from their Captain. They were seated almost immediately, the maître d' recognizing them. Oliver guided Felicity throughout the restaurant and towards their table. And when they reached it he pulled out her chair and surprised her with a kiss on the cheek. The maître d' smiled at the sweet gesture and Felicity tried not to blush. It was supposed to look natural.

When asked what they would like to drink the maître d' left it up to Oliver. She couldn't read and make anything of the menu as it was in Italian and Oliver was more used to places like this.

Now they sat across from each other, not knowing what to say as they waited for their wine. They did know one thing as they sat across from each other; they made quite a pair. Felicity had her hair loosely curled and was wearing a beautiful red dress that complemented her figure with silver heels. To complete the look Oliver had given her another pair of earrings. And she looked beautiful; breathtaking even. Oliver was wearing a suit that was a muted medium green. It lay across his wide shoulders and slim hips perfectly, just like all of his suits. And he looked handsome.

Oliver decided to break the silence first, "So how was your day? Get everything done that was needed?"

Felicity nodded, grateful for the beginning of conversation, "Well not everything. I still need a couple more days to connect everything. Probably need a couple more days at QC as well. And you? Anything happening in the exciting world of mergers and acquisitions and all of that stuff that you do."

A huff of laughter left him, "Is that what you think I do?"

Felicity winced, "Well isn't it?"

Oliver looked at her carefully. Like in the club…they were just talking. Talking as if this was normal and they were just partners discussing their day. He'd never done this before, "No. Well some part of it. Today I had a meeting with Walter. And...it was an acquisition."

Felicity grinned as she laughed lightly, "Told you."

Oliver didn't know what led him to do it, but he laid his hand on the table palm up. When she looked at him in question he nodded and she slipped her warm hand into his. He curled his fingers around her small hand.

When the maitre d' returned with their wine and he took their orders. Oliver ordered that as well.

"How about we play 20 questions?" Felicity asked. She felt like she was a teen on her first date asking such a thing but she…wanted to know him better; keep on going with the trust they had built.

"Ok," Oliver agreed easily as he ran his thumb over her fingers, "Who goes first?"

Felicity raised her hand. "I'll go first," she'd thought of some things in the car, "If you could have 20 pounds of anything, not money, what would you get?"

Oliver raised his eyebrows, eyes light and looking the complete opposite of the man she had come to know. Maybe this was the real him when you pulled back the layers, "Really? Out of everything you could ask me and you ask me that?"

She saw the teasing in his words and shrugged, taking a sip of wine as if telling him to go on and answer.

"Well," Oliver thought over the answer. There was no point lying or making something up, "Pudding. Chocolate pudding."

She bit her lip as she smiled and Oliver's eyes focused on her mouth.

"You?" he asked, watching as she released her lip and smoothed her tongue over it.

"Nope. Not that kind of 20 questions. New question each time. It's your turn," she answered.

"Ok, ok. Worst book to movie adaptation?" he asked, her face scrunching up in thought.

She was quiet for a breath before she blurted out, "The Hunger Games." His face became confused and Felicity said in surprise, "You don't know The Hunger Games? You know the movie. Young girl, long braid, likes to shoot at stuff with a bow and arrow while changing her world."

Oliver shook his head. He'd never really been in the loop when it came to new movies, "Never heard of it."

She gasped, "Really? Not even a commercial or billboard?"

"No. I mean shooting arrows does seem like a nice skill to have on the side, but I don't know how well they'd do in changing the world."

She waved his ignorance away, "We're watching that. Or reading it. Maybe you should read it. Ok, my turn."

"Wait you're not going to explain why you don't like it?"

"Nope. If you want a better answer ask a better question. Food you'd never give up?"

"Pizza," he answered quickly. He already had a question lined up for her, "If you had to change your first name what would your new name be?"

He was hitting pretty close to home with that one. For a split second after her friends had died and she was hiding in that room she had contemplated changing her name and just hiding. She was glad she didn't. "I don't know. Maybe something nice. I've always liked the name Rebecca."

"I think Felicity is nice," he answered honestly and Felicity turned her hand to lace her fingers with his in response. She didn't look up at him but he could see the corners of her mouth turn up at the unexpected compliment. He watched her avidly.

"My turn," Felicity said, "Once or twice I've seen you pull something out of your side drawer. It's something small that wouldn't matter to anyone else. But it matters to you. So my question is…favorite book?"

He swallowed thickly. She had noticed. Noticed his hesitance and the way that he held that book so gently when he'd pulled it out before bed, "The Little Prince."

She looked up at him, sensing his hesitation. It had taken a lot to tell her that; she could feel it. Even though it was against the rules of the game she repaid the favor, "The Hobbit. That's my favorite."

"I thought that was against the rules?" he teased casually.

She shrugged, a small smirk on her face, "Broke them."

Oliver felt something shift in him at her words. She didn't have to give him anything for revealing that small piece of herself but she'd given it freely, "Maybe we should start a book club."

Her smirk transformed into a smile, "Maybe we…"

The shattering of glass was the first sign that something was wrong, both of their heads turning to find the source. A scream tore through a person near the large window that ran across the front of the restaurant and Oliver let instinct take over as the large window blew open and glass rained over them. Tossing the table aside like it was nothing he tackled Felicity to the ground, covering her body with his. She flinched and pressed up to him in panicked shock as gunshots flew over them, hitting the unfortunate people that decided to run instead of laying low.

What felt like minutes were only seconds. The firing stopped and the sound of tires screeching away was almost drowned out by the commotion around them. People were groaning and crying out for others, trying to make sense of what the hell had happened.

His attention flew back to Felicity when she pushed at his shoulders almost desperately. When he pulled himself off of her she scrambled back and away from him. Her eyes were wide and terrified as if she didn't know where she was.

Oliver reached out to her and Felicity pulled back from him like she'd been burned, "No don't!"

Her breathing was coming fast and she was starting to panic, the calm from earlier completely gone. Holding his hands up he approached her slowly. Clearing some glass away he kneeled down next to her and checked her for injuries. She only had a couple cuts and nicks from the glass across her arms and chest. He felt relief wash over him for a moment until her eyes became distant, caught in a memory of the past as she tried to move away from him.

"No, no," she repeated as Oliver leaned closer. All she could see was Cooper in front of her, the slicing of the bullets as they tore through the door and into his body. She started breathing fast when she saw the red on her arms. She was back in that room, looking at Cooper as he died trying to get her to run.

Not knowing what to do Oliver brushed the hair out of her face and made sure that he was in her line of vision, "Hey, you're okay. Felicity listen to me. You're okay. I need you to breath."

Her eyes flickered to him and she tried to latch onto his voice, his face.

"Can you breathe for me?" he asked, panic welling in him that matched her own. Her face was slightly red and her eyes were welling with tears. Fuck.

She tried to take a steady breath in before speaking, her voice cracking, "They died. I was there again and…and they died. He died! I have his blood on me!"

Oliver knew immediately whom she was talking about. Putting both of his hands on the sides of her face he shushed her, "No Felicity. It's not his."

She closed her eyes as tears streamed down her face, "You promise?"

"I promise," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders and pulling her close. He tucked her under his chin, soothing her the best he could with the commotion of pained cries around them pulling at her to panic once more. This wasn't supposed to happen. He looked around at the destroyed room and the many bodies that littered it.

"Mr. Queen!" a voice shouted from the left. He turned to see it was Sara jogging up to them. She stopped right in front of him, eyes on Felicity's shaking form, "John and Roy went after them. It looked like one car."

"How many shooters?"

"One, Sara answered, crouching down and checking her for injuries as well, "Oliver, is she ok?"

"I don't know Sara," he admitted as he turned her to the side and slid an arm under her knees. He stood, holding her close to his chest so she wouldn't see the frantic commotion around them. She was already shaking bad enough, "Bring around the car. We've got to get her out of here."

* * *

Oliver rushed towards the mansion, Felicity's shaking form pressed tight to his side even though she was buckled in. He'd gotten her away from the restaurant and the police that were without a doubt ready with a billion questions once they arrived.

Oliver's priority now was to keep her safe.

Her pained whimpers as the bullets flew through the restaurant, the falling bodies, the blood on her arms and clothes…was too much for her. Oliver knew that she must still be riding the coat tales of any flashbacks she'd from the night her friends were murdered, which only made the situation worse. Not that seeing people being killed in front of you was something easy, but the way that she sat there, frozen and shaking, showed how broken inside she really was. Not to mention she hadn't let go of Oliver ever since.

They rushed through the streets of Starling City and towards the mansion, Sara now coming into view on her bike behind them. When they reached the mansion Oliver went to pull away and exit the car and Felicity's fingers held on tight to his jacket.

"Please, don't leave me," she said, her voice shaking. In the last half an hour her unexpectedly fun evening and beautiful dress had been covered with dust, debris and dried blood. The woman sitting next to him, shaking while tucked into Oliver's side was a far cry from what she looked like a few hours ago.

"I won't leave you, Felicity. I'm just going to come around to your side?" Oliver said softly. Her grip loosened on him, eyes still wide, as he quickly rushed to her side of the car. Opening the door he scooped her up, "Come on. Arms around my neck." Holding her close he carried her towards the mansion, Sara close behind.

They rushed up the stairs, into the west wing, and into the master bedroom, with Felicity silent in his arms. She'd gone quiet but he could feel the way she held herself, the way her arms locked around his neck.

"Sara, help her shower," Oliver said. Sara moved towards the bathroom to start the hot water.

Oliver tried to put her down on the bed but Felicity held tight onto him, fingers digging into his skin.

"Felicity, I need you to let go of me," he said evenly.

"No," she murmured against his ruined suit, "I'm…I'm good here."

"Felicity, you're in shock," Oliver said, running his hand down her back, "Come on. I need you to take a shower so we can see if you're hurt anywhere else, ok?"

"No, you're gonna go when I let go," she hissed, tears clouding her beautiful blue eyes when she pulled back to look at him. She'd never been a clingy person but she didn't want him to go right now. She was safe here.

"I won't leave you. I'll wait here as Sara helps you shower," Oliver said as Sara walked back to the room, the shower running and a robe in her hands. When Felicity didn't move he said, "Promise."

She gave a small nod then and Oliver leaned down. Felicity removed her arms from around his neck, standing on trembling legs. Oliver hesitantly handed her over to Sara, eyes warning to watch out for her. Sara understood.

"Come on, Felicity," Sara said softly as she put an arm against the scared woman, leading her towards the bathroom. Felicity looked back at Oliver for reassurance one last time before Sara closed the door behind them.

"Fuck," Oliver hissed, moving his hands against his hair in frustration. It'd been too close. They both could have fucking died tonight.

Oliver's phone started to ring and he picked it up quickly.

"Yes," he said shortly.

"I got one of them, Oliver," Diggle said on the other side of the line.

Anger swelled in him and he said in a clipped tone, "You know what to do, Diggle. I need answers, one way or the other."

"Consider it done," Diggle replied before ending the phone call.

Oliver sat down in one of the rooms' armchairs, his leg hopping up and down. This wasn't just a coincidence, something that happened by chance. Whoever did this was organized and knew that the Bratva Captain was there for a reason, even if it was just for dinner. When he found out who it'd been he would tear them apart. No one did this to him or what was important to him. And even though he didn't know what was going on with Felicity or how the lines were blurring, she was his partner. He'd told her he'd protect her and then this had happened.

Ten minutes later Sara walked out of the bathroom, her stance hard and her eyes filled with worry. Worry was the last thing he'd expected from the woman who implied she had better things to do than watch Felicity.

"How is she?"

"Physically she's ok. Just some cuts and bruises."

"I called Dimitri in the car. He should be here any minute," Oliver said. Dimitri was Bratva's most trusted doctor.

"She's pretty shaken up," Sara said, looking over at the bathroom door. "Oliver, do you think…" Sara started to say but Oliver cut her off.

"Diggle's taking care of it. We'll know soon if they were after her," Oliver explained quickly. His mind had already gone over the different reasons and explanations for what had happened at the restaurant. Now it was just a waiting game until Diggle got him answers.

A sharp knock on the door ended their conversation and Oliver walked towards it. Dimitri Balachov was waiting on the other side.

"_Doc,_" Oliver greeted in Russian.

"_Captain. Where's the patient?_" Dimitri asked, as he stepped inside.

"_I'll get her,"_ Sara said shortly. She knocked on the bathroom door and Felicity opened it. Even though she still looked shaken up there was something endearing about the way that the robe swallowed her up, her fingers curled over the edge of the too long sleeves, and her pajamas sticking out the bottom.

The doctor approached them as Sara helped Felicity lay down on the bed. Her eyes looked around and caught on Oliver's as the doctor sat next to her.

"I'll wait here," he reassured her, eyes only on her.

She still looked shaken up but she was holding strong, "Good_._"

* * *

It could have only been a few minutes but it felt like hours as Oliver waited. He wasn't known as a patient man. After a couple minutes he'd opened a window on the farthest side of the sitting area, a cigarette resting in between his fingers on the windowsill. He knew she hated the smell but he needed something to calm him down. Diggle hadn't called yet.

A throat cleared behind him. He turned and Dimitri stood there; his medical case in hand and a calm look in his eyes. Oliver took that as a good sign.

"_How is she?_" Oliver demanded, putting down the cigarette. He needed to be sure she was ok. The image of her face at the restaurant kept playing in his mind over and over.

"_She is physically fine. The bruises will fade in a week, the same with the small glass cuts. From what you told me, she had a panic attack at the restaurant, a real bad one. She was still shaking and had difficulty breathing so I gave her something to sleep. She will be out until tomorrow,_" Dimitri said.

"_Thank you,_" Oliver said, the relief clear on his face. The older man gave him an understanding smile.

"_She is a strong woman, Captain. She will be ok,_" Dimitri reassured, "_If you think she needs anything just give me a call._"

"_Thank you Dimitri," _Oliver said again as Sara came over from the bed,_ "Sara will accompany you back to your car_."

"_Captain,_" Dimitri inclined his head before Sara led him out.

When the door shut behind them, Oliver slowly walked over to the bed. Felicity lay there asleep. While he was smoking Sara must have gotten her old radio since it was sitting on the nightstand, a soft 60's song playing. She was curled up on her side with a pillow tucked under her chin. His pillow.

He stood there, silently watching as her chest moved up and down; proof that she was alive and ok. The panic attack that she had earlier had ripped down some of the walls that she had built around herself since arriving at the mansion. He wouldn't be surprised if she had nightmares tonight.

The sight of her there, peacefully sleeping while wearing her Matryoshka nesting dolls pajama bottoms and a tank top, made him feel things he couldn't exactly explain or pinpoint. Yes he felt somewhat overprotective of her – the look in her eyes as the bullets flew and hit flesh – was the same look he remembered seeing in his mother's eyes before she died. But there was something else here, something more. Something he couldn't understand as he covered her body with his.

Felicity was a good person, untainted by the violent life that he knew so well even though her family had been taken away from her by it. Tonight was proof that this violent life would break her if she stood too close to it. Oliver knew that Diggle was right; bringing her close to him was a mistake. She would just end up getting hurt. And Oliver had too much blood on his hands already. He wouldn't have hers too.

Feeling the familiar sense of self-loathing and hatred, Oliver gave her one last look before walking out of the bedroom and closing the door behind him. Sara was already walking back towards the bedroom; Felicity's guard until he returned.

He reached his office in no time, leaving the lights off, enjoying the darkness of the room. The only light was coming from a small lamp next to his favorite armchair. When he sat down a sharp jab of pain went down his arm. He pulled off his jacket and ruined shirt to see that his arm had been grazed by a bullet. He'd barely felt the pain of it before. He would take care of it later.

Oliver poured himself a shot of scotch and drank it in one gulp.

"_Captain?_" a voice called from behind the closed door. It was Diggle.

"Come in John," Oliver said, moving to grab another crystal glass to pour a shot for Diggle. "So?" Oliver asked the man when he entered and sat across from him. He handed him the glass, "How'd it go?"

"He sang like a canary," Diggle answered, sipping his scotch. The dark look on his face showed how far he went to get information. Diggle hated to have to do this; knowing how it tore away small fragments of your soul until there was nothing left. But for Oliver, Diggle would do it. He was loyal like that.

"What did he say?" Oliver asked, as the creeping darkness started to crawl back in.

"The Triad was targeting a Judge. His name was Stephen McMillian. He refused to get on the payroll and play by their rules. Tonight was his wedding anniversary. He and his wife were the targets," Diggle said, pouring another shot for him and Oliver.

"They decided to kill everyone inside of that restaurant to get two targets? That seems extreme. Even for The Triad," Oliver said coldly as he looked down at the amber liquid inside the crystal glass.

"Apparently China White is trying to send a message," Diggle explained. "You and Felicity were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Oliver scoffed, "Do you really believe that John?"

"I know what the man that I killed today did. And that's all he knew. If there were second intentions laid out by China White we'll never know."

"It was too close. Too much of a coincidence. They can't do this again," Oliver muttered darkly, mind stuck on a very familiar memory. Bullets flying as he sat helpless; watching as the people he loved died around him.

"Oliver," Diggle whispered, watching as his Captain got lost in his own darkness. Oliver had never gotten over the murder of his family. And in a dark corner of his mind, Oliver was still that little boy, scared and helpless, that saw everyone he loved dying in front of him. It was the reason why he found it so hard to trust, was always on guard, and why he denied that there was anything more than partnership brewing between him and Felicity.

"They need to pay for it. They think they're untouchable, above every law, above our code," Oliver murmured, slamming his glass down on the table next to the bottle of scotch. "They need to pay. And I will make them pay."

"Oliver! You're already on dangerous ground by bringing 'her' into this. You need to be careful with what you say," Diggle said, looking around the room, always suspicious. "You're not thinking straight, you're letting your hate speak for you. And that's the kind of thing that will end up getting you killed."

"I have been rational for the past twenty years, John. I can't hold it back anymore."

"You need to keep your cool, man. Or you'll pay the price for being impulsive. You know that."

Before Oliver could even reply, he heard the familiar muffed ringtone coming from his desk. He sighed, "Fuck." He was in no condition to speak with 'that' man.

"You know who that is. Calm yourself down and then pick up," Diggle advised before walking out of the office, closing the door behind him.

Oliver strode over to the desk with a clenched jaw. He hastily opened the drawer and picked the phone up. He let it ring one more time before he answered.

"_Hello, uncle,_" Oliver said coldly. There was no point in hiding the way he felt. Anatoly wasn't stupid.

"_Ollie, my boy. How are you? I heard what happened tonight_," Anatoly said on the other side. The fake tone of worry in his voice made Oliver want to break something.

"_Then you can imagine how I feel_," Oliver fumed.

"_I know exactly how you feel. I know how overprotective you can be. And also how impulsive,_" Anatoly said, a hint of warning in his tone.

"_Uncle, I was shot today and almost killed. What was mine was almost killed. Yet, here I am, calmly speaking with you. I think we can say I'm controlling my urges quite well,_" Oliver growled out, trying to keep his cool.

"_And I appreciate it, Ollie. You know how delicate the balance between the families is. The last thing we need is a blood bath on Starling City streets, don't you agree?_"

"_I wasn´t the one that attempted to murder their leader, Uncle_."

"_Ollie, that was all a misunderstanding_," Anatoly said, brushed it off like it was no big deal.

"_A misunderstanding, Uncle? They almost killed Felicity and I!_" Oliver shouted, losing his cool. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

The line was silent for a moment. No one spoke to Anatoly like that. "_You keep your tone down, boy_," he scolded, angrily, "_I know exactly what happened, China White briefed me not long ago, explaining the situation. Her as well as the Triad have no desire to get into a war with the Bratva_."

"_I'm sure she would say that_," Oliver said with disgust. The treacherous snake had made sure that she called Anatoly and spoke to him instead of calling the Captain.

"_She apologizes for putting you and your companion at risk. She wasn´t aware of your presence there until it was too late. Her man doing the shooting didn't know who you were. Or so she says. She can't find him," _Anatoly said, voice losing its anger and turning to bemusement at his young nephew, _"It was an unfortunate coincidence._"

"_Uncle, don't you think that it's too convenient? Out of all the restaurants in Starling City?_"

"_Ollie, you've got to let this hatred go. Some things need to stay in the past. Your hatred in their past involvement in the murder of your parents and sister are clouding your judgment. You know the brotherhood always comes first. Let it go,_" Anatoly commanded.

"_And you will just let that slide again? They will think they can do whatever they want and get away with it? If it was anyone else…_"

"_I would do the same thing if that meant keeping the peace between the families_," Anatoly ground out as he hit something, probably his desk. Oliver shut up, "_I know the woman you have been involved with was there, and that your rationality has disappeared for the moment because of the threat to her and your want to keep her safe. But I won't let you ruin twenty years of peace because you're hot headed._"

"_I…I apologize, sir. I was out of line_," Oliver said through clenched teeth. This was ridiculous.

"_I know this is hard for you, Oliver. But you are a Bratva Captain above all things, don´t forget that._"

"_I won't_."

"_Good. I'm glad we cleared everything up. I will expect you and your companion in two weeks, Ollie_," Anatoly said happily as if this conversation never happened, as if Oliver's life hadn't been threatened.

"_We will be there. Goodbye Uncle,_" Oliver muttered in agreement as he ended the call. He slammed the phone back into its drawer before locking it. Leaning forward he pressed his hands on the desk, bowing his head. He growled angrily, sweeping everything off his desk and sending it crashing to the floor.

His uncle was a fool. China White didn't do anything 'by accident'. It wasn't just a mere coincidence. She knew he was there. Maybe even wanted to rattle him a little and then just play it off as a mere coincidence. But it hadn't worked like she'd planned. He wasn't rattled.

He was enraged.

He would show China White and The Triad what it meant to be rattled…to be afraid. He would show them that their days were ending, that they were numbered. And the woman in the other room, the one they had hurt and scared tonight, would help him achieve it.

* * *

**A/N: Woo! Another chapter done! Honestly this might be the longest chapter we've done so far! Hopefully it'll help with tonight's feelz in the new episode. It's going to get harsh ladies and gents.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed it! You have been the most amazing readers and we love this fandom! 333**

**Love,**

**PoisonAngelMuse and TheAlternativeSource**


	7. Raining

**The Crow Chapter 7 – Raining**

**Disclaimer:** We own nothing but our plot and our own characters. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to DC Comics and CW Television. All rights over this idea and its concepts belong to us. This work is intended for the private enjoyment of the reader and is not to be shared on any other sites (besides AO3 and FF) or events without our express permission.

* * *

**A/N: Hi everyone! Thank you all for the amazing support. We love you guys so much!**

**This will be a bit shorter than the long chapter last week. RL was a real bitch this week and we worked really hard to get this out on time.**

**Again, we also wanted to ask if one of our amazing readers, for instance, would like to help us with a video. We have the amazing manips by the lovely Waschal, but we wanted to know if anyone would like to help us making videos for our work? It can be for 'Demons', 'Broken Arrows' or 'The Crow'! It would be a dream come true to see our work like that.**

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**Link for The Crow Soundtrack - /lyra-aureus/the-crow-official-soundtrack**

**Enjoy!**

**Music – Raining by Of Verona**

* * *

_Don't want to be here  
Don't want to be here right now  
Don't want you to see me crying_

_Don't want to feel this  
Don't want to feel this right now  
Feel like I could give up trying_

_Then it falls on down  
Anchors to my bones  
Pins me to the ground  
I feel like dying_

_Nothing left to lose  
Nowhere else to move  
Then it breaks on through  
It's almost shining_

_When it's raining on me  
(It all becomes clear)  
Raining on me  
(No one said life was fair)  
On me  
(So I'll take it as it comes)  
On Me  
(Cause the rain leads to the sun)_

_I have to face it  
I'll need to face this right now  
Because I can't change what's coming_

_Tried to escape it  
I can't escape this right now  
I think I'm tired of running_

* * *

There was glass all around her. Blood on her arms. A couple stinging cuts. And all around her there was screaming. The restaurant had been attacked.

Her eyes looked around frantically. Where was Oliver? He was just there. He had throw the table to the side and pulled her body to the ground. Making it so she wasn't one of the unfortunate people around her. She wasn't one of the ones bleeding. Dying.

But where was Oliver? He wasn't her and she was alone.

Twisting her body to the side she pulled her aching body from the ground. Glass crunched behind her. Thinking it was Oliver, she turned around quickly, relief flowing through her. It disappeared almost instantly.

It wasn't Oliver. It was China White.

She reeled back to escape but China White's hand shot out and wrapped itself around Felicity's hair, pulling her neck back roughly.

"Well look what I found, a little blonde prize," China said with a smarmy grin, "Guess it's my lucky day. Got rid of your friends, Oliver, and now you."

Felicity's breathing because weighted down by the fear that she felt. This woman took her family away. Made her run and hide. Made her ask the most unlikely person for help. And now she had attacked this restaurant just to get to Felicity. To get to Oliver.

Felicity's hands gripped the one holding her close, digging her nails into the skin, and trying to break away, "Where is he? What you do to him?"

China White cocked her head as if Felicity was the most fascinated and stupid creature she had seen. Felicity's insides tightened in fear when the woman let her go and pushed her away.

The white haired woman's hands went behind her and pulled out a gun from the small of her back, "The same thing I'm going to do to you."

And then she shot her.

* * *

Felicity's eyes flew open, her body jolting forward. There was something pressed across her chest. She began to panic, fingers trying to tear off the object. Her fingers gripped onto something strong with what felt like hair on it.

Her hair was pushed to the side and a voice cut through her panic.

"Breathe."

Felicity continued to struggle, "No, no, no."

She knew that voice. Her breaths were coming in short and quick gasps, giving her a headache. Her body leaned back into something warm and she turned her head. It was Oliver.

His eyes were confused with a hint of panic that probably matched her own. Her eyes focused on his lips, tracing each movement to ground her.

"I need you to breathe with me. It's ok."

"No it's not ok. I saw her. She was there."

"No one's here Felicity. I promise," Oliver said as he loosened his grip and turned her to face him, "Who did you see?"

Felicity looked down for a second but Oliver followed, ducking down to look her in the eyes.

"Felicity? Who did you see?"

"China White," Felicity admitted, "I saw her…and I couldn't find you. And she said…she said she'd do the same thing she did to you to me. And then she shot me." Felicity pressed her hand to her stomach and Oliver snatched it up.

"Hey. No, no. I'm here. China White never came. It's just you and me," he assured, "Just breathe and lay down, ok?"

Felicity took a deep breath, wincing at the pain in her chest. She was okay. She was in the dark with Oliver and she was okay. Oliver let go of her hand and helped her lay down on her side before laying down himself.

Felicity curled up around the pillow, peering at Oliver. She didn't know what to say to him. Sure she'd had nightmares before, but nothing like this. Nothing where he could blatantly witness her mind betraying her while she was sleeping, showing her all the things that she feared.

She felt suddenly felt ashamed at waking him up, "Thank you. I'm sorry I woke you up but thank you."

Oliver's lips pursed for a second and he said nothing. There was no need to say thank you. He did it and he didn't know why. He just couldn't stand her and pain. I don't want her thrash and woke him up she had been in pain. Holding his forehead he said, "It's no problem. Just keep on breathing."

She followed his instructions, taking one steadying breath after another. She still felt like her heart could explode out of her chest any moment but she wasn't alone now. Oliver was with her and he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

He turned his body towards here, "Better?"

"Yes, I feel better," Felicity said, feeling her chest finally loosen. Now more calm she asked, "Oliver what happened in the restaurant? I had a panic attack tonight?"

Oliver pulled the comforter up to her shoulder, "Don't worry about that. We'll talk about it tomorrow. Go back to sleep."

She curled her fingers into the blanket, "But..."

"No. We'll talk about it tomorrow," Oliver settled on back.

Felicity nodded and completely relaxed into her pillow. Neither of them talked about how small the distance was between them. Neither wanting to be far from the other.

* * *

She woke up to the shuffling of clothes being put on. When she opened her eyes and looked over, Oliver wasn't in the bed anymore. Instead he was in the walk-in closet already dressed. And it wasn't his running clothes.

In a groggy voice she said, "Hey."

He looked over quickly, hiding the fact that she had startled him. He'd been trying to leave the room before she'd woken up. He failed. And Felicity knew it by the pinched look on her face.

"No jog today?" she asked, hands tracing the comforter.

Oliver turned away from her, shaking his head. He couldn't look at her for the moment without remembering her panicked face from last night; at the restaurant and in their bed. It made him think of moments when he would wake up from dreams. Every time, alone and scared. Except for last night he was there for her and it made him think of things he'd rather forget.

He backtracked his thoughts and caught onto the word 'their' and he clenched his hands. "No I have to get into work early."

Felicity sat up in the bed still watching him with curious and guarded eyes, "We're not going to talk about yesterday?"

"Later. When I get back from work we can talk," he was trying to get out of the room as fast as possible. He needed to clear his mind. Some good time away from Felicity would help at this moment.

Grabbing a briefcase sitting right outside the walk-in closet he made his way to the bedroom door, "Sara and Roy will be up in a bit to take you to Verdant. I'll see you later."

She raised her hand to say bye but he was already gone.

They didn't end up talking about it later.

* * *

A small smile grazed Oliver's lips as he read the new numbers of the Bratva's latest transactions. Despite his rushed morning and tactics to get away from Felicity and his own thoughts yesterday, he was happy with her work. The improvement in their money laundering was outstanding, much higher than he actually thought was possible. The new programs that Felicity had developed for Queen Consolidated was able to shell out many Bratva accounts, and turn them into regular QC business ones, without raising any suspicions or flags. It was perfect.

"You seem pleased," Diggle said, watching as Oliver stacked his reports and began shredding them.

"You could say that. Things are really improving," Oliver said, as he watched the last shred of paper turn into small fragments that would later be burnt. "You sound surprised," Oliver said with a raised eyebrow. Diggle still didn't hide how cautious and displeased he was with their situation.

"I never said she wasn't good at her job, I said we shouldn't bring her into our business. There's a difference," Diggle said, still unsure about Felicity's place in their group. John Diggle wasn't the kind of man that trusted easily, and he considered the few friends he had as his own family. So he wasn't ready to risk everything because Oliver was infatuated by the girl. He would trust her when she proved herself. And it would take much more than some improvements in their business transactions for that to happen.

"Maybe you should actually try to get to know her then. I'm loath to admit it, but she's not so bad when you get to know her. Lippy as hell, but she knows what she's doing," Oliver said, trying to sound disinterested, but John knew Oliver as well as he knew himself. He heard the light uptick at the end when he called her lippy. The Crow was full of shit.

"Maybe," Diggle said as a soft knock on the door interrupted them.

"Come in," Oliver called out, sitting down behind his desk and trying to look busy.

The door opened. It was his executive assistant Nina, "Mr. Queen, excuse me sir. There is a Detective Quentin Lance here to see you. He doesn't have an appointment. Should I ask him to schedule one?"

"No, Nina. Please, ask him to come in," Oliver said, as Nina hurried towards where Quentin Lance waited.

"Lance?" Diggle whispered, as he and Oliver exchanged worried glances. They both knew what this was about.

"Let's see what the good Detective wants this time," Oliver said, getting up from his chair and buttoning up his dark grey suit jacket. It wasn't his first rodeo with Detective Lance. Over the years that had crossed paths many times and Oliver was sure today wouldn't be the last.

Quentin Lance was one of the finest members of Starling City's Police Department. The man had dedicated his life to serve and protect the citizens of the city, and in a way, Oliver admired him. He was Sara's father and had suspicions about Oliver's business practices that set Oliver on edge. Lance would have become an issue years ago if it wasn't for his love for his daughter and the fact that Oliver had helped her. But Oliver had a feeling he was pushing it and Quentin's patience would run thin one day.

Detective Lance walked inside the office, his face hard and his steps steady.

"Detective Lance. Good afternoon," Oliver said, moving to shake Quentin's hand.

Lance took his hand firmly, "Mr. Queen."

"What can I help you with, Detective?" Oliver said, offering the chair in front of his desk before he took a seat behind the desk. Diggle stood next to the door – playing the part of his personal bodyguard while still keeping an eye and ear on the situation.

"I wanted to talk to you about your statement concerning the shooting at the restaurant," Lance said, his face impassive as he pulled out a recorder from inside his suit jacket. He placed it gently on the table.

"I already gave my statement yesterday, Detective. One of your men came to collect it at the mansion," Oliver explained calmly. He did not want to talk about what happened yesterday with Lance. Felicity face came to mind and he clenched his hands on the edge of the desk.

"I'm well aware of that, Mr. Queen. Yet, I need to fill in some gaps. I hope you don't mind," Lance said with a small smirk, as he knew that Oliver couldn't avoid him without raising any suspicions.

"Not at all," Oliver said with a small charming smile, his mask firmly in place, "Even though I included everything I know in my statement. I don't know how I can be any more useful."

"Well, just humor me then," Lance said as he pressed record and pulled out a small notebook, "Two night ago, a few gang members of the Chinese criminal family, also known as The Triad, attacked and shot through the glass windows of the Italian Restaurant Nono's, in an attempt of murder Judge Stephen McMillian and his wife Elizabeth McMillian, killing eight people in the process. Is that correct?"

"I believe yes, even though I'm not exactly sure about the details," Oliver said shortly, lacing his fingers together and letting them rest over the top of his desk.

"And you were there having dinner with your girlfriend – Felicity Smoak?" Lance asked, looking at his notebook for a second.

"That's correct." Oliver said, holding back the need to clench his teeth – the vision of Felicity shaken and terrified came to him again. It was still too raw.

"Yet, she didn't give a statement," Lance said, looking up from the notebook and back to Oliver, "Why is that?"

"My girlfriend has been terrified ever since the shooting. She needed to be medicated after it. She hasn't left our bedroom," Oliver lied smoothly. Yes she was scared, but she'd spent her day yesterday and probably today at Verdant, "I'd rather she didn't have to relive those terrible memories ever again. Besides, she panicked when the shooting started and she didn't see anything."

"But you did?" Lance asked as he took a note down.

"I saw enough," Oliver said, his tone clipped and defensive, "When the first shot hit, my survival instincts kicked in I suppose. I pushed Felicity down and used the table to shield us. A few seconds later I heard the gunfire stop and heard the sounds of tires as the shooters escaped. When I finally looked up I saw people lying there, blood and debris all over the place. I gathered my panicking girlfriend and got out of there as soon as possible. She didn't need to see that and I wasn't sure if they were targeting me and would come back to finish the job."

"Interesting," Lance whispered to himself, as he took some more notes. " But what about the body?" Lance enquired, his face serious, looking straight into Oliver's blue eyes.

"What body?" Oliver asked, not following Lance's train of thought.

"The body the SCPD found in the Dawson River this morning," Lance answered in such a serious and taciturn way that Oliver's mask almost slipped. Almost.

"I have no idea what 'that' body has to do with the shooting," Oliver said, trying to look as confused as possible. He knew what body Lance was talking about. Diggle knew too.

"We found the dead and tortured body of one of the members of the Triad that participated in the attack on the restaurant. His fingertips a shell casing we recovered from Judge McMillian's chest."

"I see," Oliver said with a hum, "Yet, I have no idea what it has to do with me."

"I just find it curious is all. After all, a man that tried to kill you and your girlfriend appears dead the next 48 hours. It makes me wonder if you had anything to do with it," Lance said, finally laying out what he was really there to ask.

"Am I being formally charged with something?" Oliver asked, voice warning. Best defense was a good offense after all, "Should I call my lawyer Detective?"

"No, of course not," Lance said, closing his notebook and turning off the recorder. He gave Oliver a polite and fake smile. Oliver felt a little bit insulted that he wasn't even trying to hide his discontent for Oliver, "After all, why would one of the richest men in the country want to kill a low life gang member?"

"Precisely," Oliver replied, trying to hold back his temper. Lance had never done this and Oliver was about to explode.

"I mean why would the Queen Consolidated CEO want anything to do with the Triad," Detective Lance said, his voice laced with sarcasm, as they both knew that Oliver had all the reasons in the world to hate the Triad. Even though Lance couldn't prove a thing.

"Nothing," Oliver said with a clenched jaw.

Lance stood, "Mr. Queen, I know you do a lot of good for this city. I know a lot of things changed when you came back to town. And I know that life is not black and white, that there are endless shades of grey between then."

"Is there a point in any of this Detective?" Oliver questioned, not hiding his annoyance anymore.

"Off the record, we both know what happened to that man. And even though I don't agree with your methods, we hit the jackpot having his prints on that bullet. It solidified our case. I now have the proof to bring China White and The Triad in for the murder of 8 people."

"Good for you, Detective," Oliver said his tone cold as his eyes turning darker by the second.

"You know how grateful I am for what you did for my daughter. If not for you, she would be dead. I am eternally indebted to you," Quentin said, straightening his jacket, "But I won't allow a blood bath to start on Starling City streets, Mr. Queen. Keep that in mind."

Oliver's eyes followed Lance's every moment. He said nothing.

Lance gave him a nod, "I'll show myself out."

* * *

Oliver and Diggle rushed towards Verdant as soon as Captain Lance left Queen Consolidated. They didn't take their usual route, alert of the possibility of someone following them. It wasn't usual behavior for the CEO to go his club in the middle of the day.

They always knew that Lance was well aware of Oliver's connection with the Bratva. After all, he was a very smart man, and had put together all the details pertaining to the increase in Starling City's Bratva business after Oliver's return. Yet, they seemed to have an understanding – as long as Bratva didn't touch innocent civilians or the SCPD police force, he would stay out of their way. However, his threat in Oliver's office was clear. If Oliver didn't get a hold of things, he would come after him. And the last thing he wanted was to have Sara's father's blood on his hands.

That's why they were heading to Verdant. They needed to get a handle on this and talk somewhere safe.

Felicity and Sara had spent the last few days putting the final touches on the foundry. The dark basement was now brighter, the smell of mold long gone, with a security and surveillance system to match. The large room now had a corner that held the database and mainframes that they needed, as well as an area with computers and screens, large desks, and a large touch activated interactive screen. Across from the computers there was a section that Sara and Roy had set up with weapons of all sorts and a small training area to work out in while Felicity worked.

When they reached Verdant they made their way inside. All eyes turned to them when they clambered down the metal staircase. Both men looked tense. That set everyone on alert.

"Fuck Diggle, you should have warned me," Oliver fumed as he removed his tie and jacket, hating the constrictive nature at the moment. He threw the jacket on a dark couch that rested against the back of the staircase.

"If you knew, your reaction wouldn't be convincing." Diggle explained, crossing his arms against his chest.

"I'd rather be prepared. Why didn't you destroy all the evidence as usual?" Oliver fumed. "This can't be traced back to us, Diggle. He wasn't bluffing."

"It won't be traced. I knew that this was a chance too good to pass up. Isn't that what you wanted? To find a way to bring the, down without being traced back to you? The body being connected to the shooting and the Triad is the perfect way to start it. Now let the SCPD do their job." Diggle said as Oliver growled out a heated 'fuck', on the edge of losing it. Oliver trusted him and he understood his reasoning. But shit like this couldn't happen again.

"You have to tell me these things, John. As much as the Triad is personal for you, it's personal to me. I can't have shit like this happen again," Oliver said, pinning Diggle down with his eyes, "I need you with me on this."

Diggle sighed and placed a hand on Oliver's shoulder in apology. They were in this together, no matter how much he wanted Oliver's reaction to be real, "I am with you on this."

"Hey, what's going on?" Sara asked, watching the tense exchange between Oliver and Diggle, with Felicity and Roy standing by.

"Your father paid us a visit today, Sara," Oliver said, pacing from one side to the other, feeling like a caged animal. He had lost control of the situation today, no matter how much he looked like he was in control. He'd been surprised. The Crow was never surprised. It couldn't happen again.

"What? Why?" Sara asked in a mix of shock and confusion.

"He found a body today. From the man I captured after the shooting," Diggle explained calmly.

"What?" both Roy and Sara said, shocked. They all knew the rule about never leaving evidence behind. Never leaving a trail that could lead them back to the brotherhood. It was one of their most absolute laws.

"And you wanted him to find it?" Felicity asked, stepping away from her desk. Oliver's eyes flickered over her form for the first time all day. She looked a bit tired, "Why?"

"He was an known member of The Triad. I knew his prints would be in the system and I was sure there was a chance that he might have loaded some of those guns. It was a shot in the dark. But I couldn't miss the opportunity," Diggle explained. The incredulous looks that all of them gave him was further proof he should have spoken up.

"So you gave the police something to work on," Felicity said softly, absorbing it. "That was actually a pretty smart move. They may not have enough to go after China White, but maybe they can get more surveillance on them. Maybe they can even get warrants now to bug their system. Find out about their drug shipment," Felicity said, turning back to her computer in a rush. They all looked at each other in confusion, not understanding what she was trying to get at.

Oliver's eyes trailed after her slightly swaying ponytail. She was excited about something.

"I'll talk to my dad, Oliver. I'll see what the old man is up to," Sara said, throwing on her jacket and pulling out her phone as she went upstairs to the club. Sara knew the rules. Her dad was her weak spot, and she needed to make sure he would stay out of Bratva business.

"We need to be more careful, John," Oliver hissed. He should have seen what Diggle was doing. Maybe he'd been too distracted, out of focus. He looked at Felicity again. The smart blonde had set him on edge the other day, her pain making him relive pieces of his own. Things were really starting to get fucking confusing and complicated with them.

"We're being careful, Oliver. I was being careful. Lance took the bait and now he will look more carefully into Triad business," Diggle said, not backing down, "We gave him a legal opening we've never had.

"We can keep an eye on Lance as well. We can place a bug in his phone when he has dinner with Sara, which she's probably asking him to upstairs," Roy supplied, speaking for the first time since they came down, "We can make sure that nothing leads back to us or to Bratva."

"I can help you guys with that," Felicity said, as she jumped up from her chair and walked over to them with her tablet in hand. "I can put together an untraceable bug, and we can use it to hack into the GPS signal of his phone. As long as he keeps his phone near him we can listen in on everything he does or talks about," Felicity said, already thinking about the tiniest piece of hardware they could use for the bug.

"Can you do that?" Oliver asked, more in reassurance than anything else.

"Please, you wound me by asking that," Felicity said with a smirk. She could do this.

"Good," Oliver lightly, watching as she froze and realized what she'd been doing. The smile slipped off her face.

Oliver had been avoiding her for the past two days, ever since she'd woken up stuck in a nightmare with China White. He had been more distant and closed off, spending all his time at Queen Consolidated and coming back to the mansion after she'd fallen asleep. He would come to bed after she was asleep and wake up before her. This hot and cold was giving her whiplash.

He was just turning to talk to Roy and Diggle when Felicity said, "Oliver?"

"Yes, Felicity?"

"Can we talk?" she asked almost nervously, biting her lower lip and tapping her fingers against the tablet. She couldn't take this hot and cold anymore, "In private?"

"Fine," he said, looking back at Diggle and Roy. They gave both of them a knowing look and disappeared upstairs to check on Sara.

This was the first time they'd been alone and awake in almost two days.

They stood in an awkward silence for a few seconds, Oliver looking conflicted and Felicity feeling her hands start to sweat. It was uncomfortable, like they hadn't spent the past few weeks together. Like they hadn't grown closer with each passing day. Like they hadn't been through so much together already. Like they were only strangers.

They were silent until Felicity gathered the courage to speak.

"Ummm, I guess I should start," Felicity said, nervously pushing her glasses up her nose.

"Is there a point to this? I need to finish talking to Diggle before I go back to QC," Oliver inquired, looking irritated.

Felicity narrowed her eyes at his tone as she tucked her hair behind her ear. He didn't have the right to talk to her like that. "I talked with Sara about what happened," since we haven't talked went unsaid, "I wanted to thank you for saving my life. I know that you promised me you would keep me safe when I joined your quest. But I…I just wanted to say how thankful I am that it was you sitting with me on that restaurant and nobody else. I don't want to think about what would have happened if it wasn't for you."

"You would be dead. You have the worse sense of self-preservation I've ever seen." Oliver said, cold and detached. He didn't need her to say thank you.

Her shoulders slumped but her eyes held the same narrowed eyed look. She couldn't understand why he was acting like this again. How could he simply say that?

"I know, I'm trying to work on that," she said, sighing angrily. He could continue acting like a jerk if he wanted to, "But still, thank you. You saved me. I don't know if I will ever be able to repay you for that." She was now another member of the 'Saved by Oliver' group. Another one of Peter Pan's lost boys and girls.

He made her reel back a little when he said, "You want to thank me? You can do that by doing your job. That's the only thing I need from you, Felicity. That way we can end this farce sooner than later."

Oliver turned and abruptly finished the conversation. He disappeared up the stairs, along with any trace that he actually cared about her.

* * *

Felicity returned to her workstation as soon as Oliver left the basement. His disinterest hurt her, much more than she would like to admit, and this feeling only served to anger her. So she decided to focus her energy in a more productive way, even though hitting the training dummy that Sara spent hours training on seemed like a really good idea right now.

Hunkering down she began working on the special item she had asked Oliver for on her supply list. This she could focus on. Minutes turned into an hour as she worked on the small piece in front of her. Felicity was shocked out of her working mode when she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand.

Someone was watching her.

"Do you need something?" she asked, annoyed and not looking back at the person. It was probably Oliver coming back to get his jacket without her realizing it.

"I'm just wondering what you're doing," Diggle said, his voice echoing in the almost empty and silent basement. Oliver had asked Roy to take him to QC, after collecting his jacket and tie, and for Diggle to stay at Verdant. Sara had left to deal with some Bratva business, leaving her and John Diggle alone for the first time in weeks.

"Where's Sara?" Felicity asked, looking around for the other blonde, "Shouldn't you be with Oliver?"

Diggle approached her slowly, "Sara had Bratva business to deal with. Oliver has gone back to the office."

"Oh giving your bromance a chance to breathe after you didn't tell him you dumped the body," Felicity blurted out. She didn't even say sorry or excuse herself. They both knew she was right.

John nodded, stopping a couple feet from her desk, "So again, what are you doing?"

"I'm creating a small portable anti-bugging device. The one that you guys carry along is ridiculous, and so obvious. I wanted to come up with something more inconspicuous," Felicity said, pointing at the small device she was almost done fiddling with. "This way you can add it to a wrist watch and no one would have any idea that you're bug free, even if you're searched. I mean, not bugs-bugs. Not that it would be any of my business if you did. But let's get back to it. I've never seen Sara wear a watch. But maybe I can add one to a bracelet or something. A large bangle? Are bangles still fashionable? Maybe she would like a wrist band," Felicity rambled, and for the first time ever, she could see a faint smile painted on John Diggle lips. Even though he was always stoice he seemed amused by her word vomit.

"That can come in handy. Very well thought Ms. Smoak." John said, looking impressed.

"I try," she whispered, hoping that Oliver would see it as useful as Digg did. It was the least she could do. She needed to show she could help them out. To win their trust.

Diggle put a screeching halt to that thought.

"If you're trying to get The Crow's affection and approval with this, you better not get your hopes up. Oliver is not the kind of man that opens up like that."

"Its not about that," Felicity said with a scowl, hating that she seemed to come off as transparent. She didn't care about what Oliver thought of her. They were only business partners, nothing more, "Sara told me I have to earn his trust. That's what I'm doing."

Diggle scoffed. He wished Oliver could have a normal life, find love, but that wasn't possible for a Bratva Captain. Anatoly would never allow it. This thing between Oliver and Felicity was dangerous. And even though Diggle hated himself for having to point it out, someone had to.

"What is your problem?" she asked defensively, crossing her arms against her chest, her stare hard, "Oliver has been cold and distant to me, especially the last couple of days. That's nothing in comparison to how you act and look at me. You look at me with anger. Like I'm going to bring this all falling down!"

"You could. You and Oliver are playing a very dangerous game here. We both know that things are getting more complicated each day. Both of you are too scared to admit you both are confused because things are different and it's more than just mere appearances."

Felicity flushed and hissed, "I…this is none of your business."

"Felicity, you are an unnecessary variable in the equation. One that none of us ever considered, one that makes Oliver lose his focus. He is one of the most controlled men I've ever known, but all of that is crumbling. You're making him act without thinking. And that is very dangerous."

"So you'd rather have him be a cold blooded killer?" she fumed, "And you know the Triad is close right? Closer than they've never been before. This would throw anyone off."

Diggle ignored her bit about the Triad. They'd always been close, "No. I would rather have him not die because of something stupid."

Felicity placed the device back on the table, "Oliver can take care of himself."

"Oh I have no doubt about that. He is very capable. Except when it comes to you it seems."

"Are you always such a noisy asshole or is just with the new team members?" she asked, her tone laced with sarcasm. "You don't know me, Mr. Diggle. You have no right to judge me. But you don't have to worry; your precious Crow is back to his regular prick ways. You have nothing to fear. All he cares about is his vendetta and the image we portray," Felicity said coldly, trying to hold back the anger and frustration she was feeling. The sooner he left the faster he could go back to work.

"Good" John said. He watched as she pulled her eyes away from him and went back to work as if he wasn't there, "You may think I don't like you Felicity, but I'm looking out for both you and Oliver. You two keep your head in the game. The mission is our priority. All of our lives are at stake here."

"And I wouldn't do anything to jeopardy that," Felicity ground out.

"You better. Cause Anatoly isn't known for his forgiveness," Diggle warned.

Felicity curled her fingers around the device and scanned it with her eyes. She was done with this conversation, "I know Diggle. All of our lives are at risk. And no matter what you think I won't let Oliver or you guys down."

"I hope you prove me wrong, Felicity. For all of our sakes."

* * *

Tonight was supposed to be another night of impressions. Showing people at Verdant, in the mafia and in QC that they were a loving couple. They were supposed to show the public eye something together.

It wasn't going well.

Felicity sat next to Sara and Roy with a fresh drink in front of her. Her hands twitched in her lap, looking across the VIP section to him. She wanted to stand up from her couch. Go to him. Go to Oliver where he stood close to a pale woman with a winning and flirtatious smile.

She didn't understand why she felt like this. Why him being close to that woman did something to her. Why it made her want to grind her teeth and pretend like it wasn't bothering her. She didn't understand why she was feeling like this especially after he'd reverted back to his jerk version of himself.

They'd been getting to know each other better lately. Even when they were attacked and even when she woke up from a dream screaming…they were getting to know and trust each other better. How each ticked, moved, and how to move around each other; there back and forth was a dance. They had even laughed together; a seemingly impossible feat with the brooding and possessive Oliver Queen.

And now he just stood there on the other side, with that woman close to him, when they were supposed to be pretending as if they were in love. Oliver and the woman were familiar with each other, that much was obvious. The way that the woman held herself, the light laugh and smile on her face. There was history there.

Felicity didn't like feeling like this. She felt…jealous. And used.

They were partners. A united front. And the last time she had been here he had made it clear that no one was to touch her or even look at her because she was The Crow's woman. Now she saw what being The Crow's woman really gave her; a partnership full of boundaries and rules that were being pushed and pulled and confusing her. A partnership where the man she was working with thought he could mess with her emotions by being so back and forth.

Picking up her drink she made a decision.

"Sara," she said, interrupting her conversation with Roy, "Sorry for interrupting, but could you walk me downstairs." Downstairs to their secret foundry was left unsaid.

Sara nodded, "Ok. Roy can you tell Oliver where I'm taking her."

She wanted to reach out and tell her no, don't do it. But it was useless. Roy had already stood and began approaching Oliver and 'the woman' and Sara had taken her upper arm, steering her to the stairs and down into the crowd.

She didn't look back. She needed to clear her mind. Some good time away from Oliver would help.

* * *

Oliver had been at Verdant with Felicity for about an hour before he was pulled away to talk business. For over thirty minutes he discussed things with certain associates of Bratva. When he was about done and turning to rejoin Felicity, a voice stopped him.

"Well, well, well," Helena said from behind him, her raspy voice echoing with the heavy beat of the club music. He turned to her. "Looks like all the rumors were true after all," she said, holding a champagne flute in her hand. As usual she looked vicious and stunning at the same time. Oliver knew in that moment that Helena was only there to cause him trouble.

"Helena," Oliver practically snapped, putting his fake smile on. The one she hated. He wasn't surprised to see her between the VIP members of Verdant that night. It had been a while since they had last spoken – the longest they had since they had started their affair months ago. He couldn't simply kick her out; he did business with her father.

He had to play nice.

"So, who is your new toy?" she asked him with an arched eyebrow, moving her body closer to his. Way too close.

"Should I have any idea what you're talking about?" Oliver said, keeping a steady eye on her. He was not in the mood to play Helena's games tonight. He'd had a terrible week and the last thing he needed was her to make things even worse.

"The little blondie," Helena answered, pointing towards where Felicity was watching them at the other side of the VIP room, with curiosity and a hint of ire in her eyes, "The rumor is that she was the one to finally catch The Crow's heart."

"Is that so?" Oliver said, watching how tense Felicity seemed to get by the second. She seemed bothered. She gave him an angry look before turning to talk to Sara, and ignoring him. She had a right to be angry after the last couple days. He'd been an ass to her. Now she'd seen him with Helena and he could only imagine what she must be thinking. It bothered him, "If that's the rumor than it must be true."

"And here I was thinking that you didn't have a heart," she said, moving her perfectly manicured red nails up and down his chest. "But I needed to see with my own eyes. Isn't she a pretty little bird?" Helena teased, her voice filled with venom.

"Don't," Oliver said with clenched teeth. "I don't want to start a scene here, Helena." Oliver removed her hand from his body. "It's none of your business who I spend my time with. I don't want or have the time to play your games."

"Really? I thought you liked to play with me," she whispered, trying to sound sensual. "Are you going to tell me that that little girl really does satisfy you? That she can do all the things that I can do? That she feels as good as I do?"

"Helena, stop it," Oliver said, moving his body away from hers and making it clear that he didn't want to be in her presence anymore, "We have no business together anymore. I thought I had made this pretty clear the last time we spoken. We are done."

He watched the fire in her eyes turn glacial. Helena was known for her short temper and her vicious ways.

"We are done when I say we are," she said angrily, holding onto his arm.

"Don't kid yourself," Oliver hissed, taking her hand and removing it from his suit jacket, probably with more force than necessary. "You were just another fuck between endless others that I had. And you're right. I'm a one-woman kind of guy now. But she is not you," Oliver spit out, making her even angrier. If there was something that Helena hated more than anything, was to lose.

"Are you sure you want to play this game, Oliver? We both know you're going to end up in my bed, one way or the other. No matter how much you play hard to get."

"You give yourself too much credit," Oliver said with disdain.

"I'm the woman for you Oliver. For The Crow. You know that. And that's why you're going to come back to me…like you always do"

"Helena, why don't you go back home to your fiancé?" Oliver said, his eyes scanning the room and not finding Felicity and Sara. Roy was walking towards him. Without looking back at her he said, "And trust me, you don't want to play this game with me. Because you're going to lose. Stay away from me, or you're going to regret ever crossing path."

* * *

She'd only managed to turn on one of her monitors when he followed after her. Felicity had looked back, face pinched, and drink still in her hand as he came down the stairs. Her face closed off at seeing Oliver. She turned away and turned on another monitor.

He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, hands hanging loosely by his side as he watched her. Her rigid back told it all. She was mad. No she was livid.

"Are you ok?" he asked almost carefully.

"Yes," she snapped.

Oliver didn't know why he kept pushing, "Doesn't sound like it. Why'd you run down here? Did you find something?"

Felicity remained silent. She didn't want to tell him.

He stayed in his spot. Roy had told him that she was angry and needed some air before giving him a pointed look and leaving to find Sara. And in all honesty Oliver had been waiting for this moment all week, "Felicity, tell me."

"There's nothing to tell. I just…needed some time to myself," she answered angrily.

"So that's why you're not looking at me and your hand with the glass is shaking," Oliver pointed out.

Felicity let out a frustrated growl and placed the glass on the desk a little too harshly.

"Yeah you're not angry at all."

Felicity tapped her fingers against the desk, trying to figure out how she was going to word this. She ended up blurting out, "Shouldn't you be upstairs."

Oliver raised an eyebrow. He hadn't been expecting that, "No."

Felicity snorted as she typed something into the computer, logging in.

"Felicity," he tried once more, starting to feel the pull of anger. She had never ignored him like this, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

She whirled around at this choice of words, eyes blazing and said, "What the hell is wrong with me? Fine. You want to be an ass to me then go ahead. But you were flirting! That's not part of the deal."

"What? I wasn't," he assured.

"Yes you were. I'm not blind. The rest of the VIP section, the little bit of people you actually let up there saw it all. And I just sat there watching. Looking like a fool. Feeling like one too!" Felicity said with a wave of her hand, getting frustrated by his look of confusion and anger.

"I wasn't flirting with her!" Oliver shot back. Helena was a pain, an utter pain in the ass, that caused him trouble even when she wasn't there.

Felicity pinched the bridge of her nose, "Well it sure as hell looked like it!"

He watched her for a second. This was all wrong, "What are you really angry about?"

She looked at him in bewilderment and anger, "What?"

He practically stalked towards her. It set her on edge but she held her ground, pulling her shoulders back and looking at him straight in the eye. This was the first in days that he'd engaged her in any sort of talk.

"What are you really angry about?" he repeated.

Felicity exhaled loudly through her nose before blurting out, "Because as much as you say that I belong to you, you belong to me!"

"Excuse me?" That wasn't the answer he expected.

"This isn't about jealousy Oliver. You wouldn't do 'it', at least in front of me. You wouldn't risk your precious Anatoly finding out. This is about the image you want to project. That I'm your woman. That I don't flirt or even look like I'm flirting with other men because I am so unbelievably in love with you that I wouldn't DARE do something like that!" she ranted and Oliver followed her in rapt attention, "I…I don't want to feel like this. This back and forth that sets me on edge. If I'm yours then YOU are mine. You are MY man. You should 'look' like you're flirting with me. And you should look like you are so unbelievably in love with me that you wouldn't even DARE let a woman like that think she could be in your space without repercussions."

She wasn't finished yet.

"And another thing. I don't know what the hell happened to you after the restaurant or what I did wrong but I need you to get back into the game with me. All this back and forth isn't going to get us anymore. So stop being a dick and act like the partner that I should trust and believe in to protect my back!"

When she was done she was panting, cheeks flushed. A part of her wanted to bolt. To hide at the way that she had vomited all of that out. The other part was proud. She had stood up to him. And he was saying…nothing. He was just staring at her with the dopiest smile.

Oliver couldn't help but smile. No one had ever done this to him; called him out on every single thing he had done to annoy them. A part of him was ashamed at having treated her like he had after they had pushed forward. Another part of him was proud of her and maybe even slightly turned on. Of course he didn't say any of this to her. Instead he said, "You yelled at me, The Crow."

Felicity narrowed her eyes, "Is that judgment I here?"

Oliver kept on grinning, "No, pride."

She eyed him warily as she deflated. She couldn't stay mad at that face and the way that it was grinning at her. After a couple seconds of silence she asked, "So we have an understanding?"

He nodded, reaching up to tug a loose curl, "We do."

"Good," Felicity said as she reached up and grasped his hand. He was too close.

Oliver sighed before pulling his hand away, "I wouldn't, you know."

"Wouldn't what?"

"Flirt with someone else. Or do anything with anyone else," Oliver clarified, "I have business with Helena's father. I won't deny that I've had sex with her but it's over. I told her I was a one woman man."

"And you'll stop acting like an ass towards me?" Felicity asked, watching as his grin turned into a smile.

He should say no, but he couldn't. He was deep in it now. "I'll try my best," he teased lightly as he held his hand out, "Why don't we go up and try to salvage this fuck up of a night. Have a drink and forget the last couple days?"

She saw the out he was giving her as he held his hand out. They would go back to the way things had been before this weeks supposed 'fuck up' with no more talking or looking into why they felt this way towards each other.

Felicity took his hand.

Curling his fingers around hers they both relaxed, letting the past week wash off them and disappear as he led her back to the VIP section. When they reached their seating area Roy and Sara were there again, both curiously looking at them and trying to figure out what had happened.

Oliver sat her down and stood next to her, "You left your drink downstairs. What were you drinking?"

Felicity looked at him curiously, the lights of the club bouncing off his inquiring face. She felt like something had locked into place at the sight.

She took his hand, "Gin and tonic please?"

He leaned down and surprised her with a tender kiss to the temple before moving to the bar to get it. Both felt better than they had in days.

When he returned with her drink he gathered her close to his side and whispered into her ear, "She's watching you."

Felicity didn't have to ask who it was. She searched the VIP area and caught onto Helena's eyes.

"Raise your glass at her," Oliver whispered smoothly, "Smile."

She did just that and Helena bristled before storming off.

Felicity turned her face to his, "Is that going to cause us problems later?"

Oliver shrugged, the words rolling off his tongue more easily than ever before and something easing in his chest at being this close to her once more, "I'm yours. Now she knows."

* * *

**A/N: Woo! Another chapter done! Hope this helps with all the feelz that this week's episode of Arrow is surely to give us. :D**

**Thank you for reading! You have been the most amazing readers and we love this fandom! 333**

**Love,**

**PoisonAngelMuse and TheAlternativeSource**


	8. Undiscovered

**The Crow Chapter 8 – Undiscovered**

**Disclaimer:** We own nothing but our plot and our own characters. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to DC Comics and CW Television. All rights over this idea and its concepts belong to us. This work is intended for the private enjoyment of the reader and is not to be shared on any other sites (besides AO3 and FF) or events without our express permission.

* * *

**A/N: Hi everyone! Thank you all for the amazing support. We love you guys so much! It's been a crazy ride!**

**We wanted to thank the amazing ****Girl Wednesday**** for the breathtaking video trailer she made for 'The Crow'! Go watch it and follow her on Twitter **** xxMariaT**

**YOUTUBE - watch?v=FXwb0ONOzMo&amp;feature= **

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**Link for The Crow Soundtrack - /lyra-aureus/the-crow-official-soundtrack**

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**Music – Undiscovered by Laura Welsh**

* * *

_You're the only one that I've got_

_But I can't get lost in you_

_I can't get lost in you_

_It can be someone I know_

_To make it up to you_

_Make it up to you_

_You're undiscovered_

_I wanna see the rest of you_

_I can't get next to you_

_I can't get next to you_

_You don't wanna look ahead_

_When it's staring back at you_

_Staring back at you_

_UU uu uu_

_UU uu uu_

_Baby I'm about to lose_

_UU uu uu_

_But I can't decipher you_

_You're undiscovered_

_I wanna see the rest of you_

_I can't get next to you_

_I can't get next to you_

_It's evident that you never were fully person_

_In a composition_

_Holding in what you really want_

_Left no evidence that you were listening_

_It's evident that you never were fully person_

_In a composition_

_Holding in what you really want_

_Left no evidence that you were listening_

_You're undiscovered_

_I wanna see the rest of you_

_I can't get next to you_

_I can't get next to you_

"You know my legs are shorter than yours," Felicity panted as they rounded a corner in the gardens.

Oliver looked over in surprise. They'd been going at a steady pace for about 10 minutes and this was the first they'd spoken, "What?"

"My legs," Felicity said, pointing down as they continued to jog, "They're shorter than yours. So when you're jogging it's really running for me."

Oliver hummed, a grin breaking out on his face to compliment her small frown, "Sounds like we'll have to build up your endurance."

A surprised sound left her lips as he really started moving. One second he was next to her and the next he was yards in front of her. "This is running," Oliver shouted back when he reached the end of the garden section and disappeared around some hedges.

Felicity groaned and slowed down to a stop. She pushed the hair out of her face and started walking after him.

"Can't believe Oliver left me," Felicity said as she followed the beautiful path. It wasn't like it was a horrible place to be left in but she wasn't built for things like this. "It's not about endurance Oliver. Its about you being freakishly tall!" she shouted, hoping that he heard her. He wasn't freakishly tall but she needed to say something. Hopefully he heard her and would come back.

Ever since she gave him 'the speech' down in the foundry he'd reverted back to the man she was starting to know. Sure, he was still closed off and sometimes he would get into what she had 'dubbed' as the The Crow mode, but he'd do things like what he had just done right now. Half of the time she was still pretty sure that he was poking fun at her to rile her up; get a smile or glare from her.

She never acknowledged/said out loud that she liked doing the same thing to him.

Going back to what she was saying about the couple days after the Verdant speech. The day after, he had shaken her shoulder, pulling her from her slumber, and asked her if she wanted to join him again on a jog. There was apprehension to his shoulders that she instantly wanted to erase. She had easily agreed.

And this became their routine in the morning. Oliver would wake her up and give her enough time to drag her sleepy body off the bed before they headed out for a light jog before he got ready for work and she headed down for breakfast. Him leaving her like he did right now was of no surprise. He had been looking for something to get her back for the mud accident and this was it.

Finally able to catch her rapidly beating heart and calm it down, she reached the line of hedges Oliver had disappeared into. She jumped back when her body collided with something or someone.

"What are you doing out here?" a voice asked.

It was Anya.

Felicity edged around Anya. There was something about the maid that threw her off big time. Keeping her tone light she said, "Oh nothing. Just going on a morning jog with Oliver."

Anya lifted up the corner of her mouth in what Felicity thought looked like a scowl, before looking around them, "Seems like you're running by yourself. You shouldn't be out here by yourself."

Felicity laughed, hoping that her voice didn't show how unnerved she felt, "Oliver just jogged up ahead as a joke. Showing me how fast he could run."

Anya hummed and was about to say something else when the devil himself appeared.

"Thought you got lost," Oliver said as his eyes landed on Felicity and then Anya. His shoulders straightened a bit and he lost that lose nature he always held while jogging with her, "Anya."

Anya inclined her head, "Good morning Mr. Queen."

Anya had been keeping herself scarce since Felicity's arrival and this was the first time she'd been able to catch Felicity alone. It was as suspicious to Oliver as it was to Felicity.

Oliver held his hand out to Felicity. She took it quickly and let herself be tucked into his side. Anya watched them steadily, as if calculating everything and putting it away for future use.

"Felicity should be inside for breakfast in about 30 minutes. Tell Nicholai that she would like…" Oliver looked at Felicity.

She looked up at Oliver with a smile as she placed an intimate hand on his hard chest, "Waffles?"

Her eyes fluttered closed when he grinned at her and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "Yes, waffles. Tell Nicholai to make her some waffles."

"As you wish," Anya said, sparing Felicity one last glance before she walked back towards the mansion in the direction they had come from originally.

Oliver tugged her around the hedges and around to the back of the house, his large hand still holding her small one.

"Well that wasn't creepy at all," Felicity said. She wanted to press her hand where he kissed her head but resisted.

"Did she say anything to you?" Oliver asked, an edge to his voice as he looked around.

"Ummm…well not much. Just asked what I was doing and that I shouldn't…be alone out here."

Oliver jaw clenched. He shouldn't have left her alone, even just to tease her, "I shouldn't have left you."

Felicity shook her head as they got closer to the mansion's east entrance, "While I admit that she's pretty scary and that I should watch out for her most of all, I think I would've been ok. There's nothing to apologize for."

His grip loosened a bit as he really looked down at the petite woman, "That's something we should talk about actually."

"Talk about what?" she asked in confusion, stepping over a small puddle of water. She didn't miss the look Oliver gave her at the sight of it, daring her. She ignored the puddle on the dirt path.

"About you defending yourself. If anything," Oliver pointed behind them, "like that happens again, I want you to be able to defend yourself."

"Against Anya?"

"No, against everyone," Oliver corrected, "You should be able to defend yourself. How do you feel about training with Sara a couple days a week?"

He watched her steadily as her mind flashed back to when she watched Roy and Sara train, "I see a lot of bruises coming my way."

Oliver chuckled as they caught sight of the doors of the mansion, "So is that a yes?"

Felicity kicked a small rock in her path, "Sara's ok with this?"

"Yes, she is. Even picked out some workout clothes for you already," Oliver said lightly. He laughed when Felicity whirled around to look at him.

"Already? She moves so fast," Felicity commented. She already had enough clothes and felt that maybe the woman was teasing her with every new purchase.

"I just want you to be able to protect yourself, Felicity," Oliver said. He didn't say what he really wanted to say. That he wanted her to be trained so she would be safe, so she would be able to handle herself when no one else was around.

Felicity smiled warmly as she bumped her shoulder against his lightly, "For when you're not there?"

He didn't know how she knew what he was thinking as they approached the door.

"Exactly."

Neither noticed that they had continued their walk and entered the mansion still holding hands.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later they were both back in Oliver's room. Oliver was in front of his body length mirror, struggling with his tie and Felicity was slipping on her shoes and placing her hair into a slick ponytail. It felt…domestic.

He looked at her through the mirror, "Why are you getting ready here?"

Felicity smoothed a hand over her hair and grabbed her purse, slowly approaching him.

She looked lovely. He looked handsome.

"I have something to give you," she said, stopping behind him. He turned to her and as if they had practiced this a million times, her hands came up automatically and finished tying his tie.

A blush rose to her cheeks at her boldness but neither said nothing when she finished and flattened it out over his chest. This was extremely domestic.

Oliver swallowed. She was close enough where he could smell her light perfume and see the small laugh lines at the corners of her mouth, "You were saying?"

Mentally shaking herself she took a step back and pulled out a small disk. She handed it over to Oliver, "This is for you."

He ran his thumb over the small disk. It had small clamps on the very edges. He felt something tighten in his chest. She had made this for him. No one had made him something in a very long time.

Felicity began explaining as she told another small step back, "It's for your watch. I know you worry about having your conversations listened and that you carry that anti-bugging device around. This is easier. It should slide into place on the back of it. The clamps with hold it still." She wasn't trying to back away from him; it was just that she felt awkward. She was giving The Crow a present. It was something that he could get great use of in his business, but it was still a present.

When he kept silent she continued, "Sara approved of it. And all the parts were on the list I gave you. I know it's not much…"

He looked at her then, shaking his head as an unfamiliar look passed over his face, "It's perfect…thank you."

She couldn't contain her smile, "Really?"

"Really," Oliver reassured her as he unclasped his watch and placed the anti-bugging device on the back of his watch. It fit perfectly.

There was a beat of silence as they both watched each other, unsure of what to say or how to move forward. This was different.

Felicity was the first one able to shake herself out of it. She tucked her hair behind her ears and shuffled a little in place, "See you later?"

Oliver nodded, eyes trained on hers, as his hand fiddled with the watch. He felt pride well in him. It really did fit perfectly, "Yeah."

"Ok," Felicity said as she moved away from him. She wanted to stay but she still felt the tendrils of nervousness flow through her at the gift giving. She paused at the door, hand on the doorknob, and looked back at him.

"Have a good day Oliver."

He was startled by the words but said them back almost automatically, "Have a good day Felicity."

Then she opened the door and was gone.

* * *

"Oh," Felicity groaned in pain, her face once again hitting the training mats. Heaving a sigh she propped herself up on her forearms. They had been doing this for hours. Ever since Oliver suggested she should know some basic self-defense, Sara had taken the job to heart, and made it her mission to whip Felicity into shape. She was now responsible for the majority of Felicity's bruises.

"Come on, Felicity. You can do this," Sara encouraged as Felicity slowly started to get up.

"Yeah, you can do this," Roy said with a smirk, watching as Sara helped Felicity up on her feet.

"Shut up, Roy," Sara hissed as she and Felicity moved back into fighting position. They locked eyes, "You need to keep your focus. Watch my movements and anticipate them."

"I'm trying," Felicity said as Sara advanced on her. She tried to escape her blows, only to find herself once again falling down on her ass. She slapped the mat in frustration, "Fuck."

It's not like she wasn't trying. But Felicity had never done something as intense as this; trading half of her day working on upgrading QC's network and installing Verdant's, for this.

"You need to maintain your base. Center your weight," Sara said, moving to show Felicity how to position her feet, "Now try again."

Bouncing on the balls of her feet for a second Felicity propelled herself forward, throwing a few punches in Sara's direction that the other blonde easily blocked. Sara gave her a pleased smile when Felicity remained on her feet after she swiped at her.

"See. You can do this!" Sara said, pointing at her form, "Again."

They kept moving across the mat, playing off each other's movements slowly but surely. And all Felicity did was watch and wait for this opening that Sara promised her. After about another fifteen minutes of failed attempts she finally saw one and went for it; jabbing Sara right below the shoulder and sending her a couple steps back.

Felicity held still for a second; fearful that maybe she had hit her too hard. Sara's encouraging smile told her that she'd done well. She relaxed. A jab after about 3 sessions was good right?

"Go, Blondie!" Roy cheered, enjoying the spectacle. They both gave him a pointed look and he held up his hands in defeat.

They returned to their training. Sara took her time running Felicity through some routines and counterattacks. And Felicity tried to keep up and keep the sweat out of her eyes. Felicity lasted about ten minutes before Sara knocked her to the training mat once again.

Felicity grumbled and star fished on the mat, "That's it. Leave me here to count my bruises."

Sara walked over and dropped Felicity's towel on her stomach, "Felicity."

"I'm never going to get this right," Felicity said, wiping her face.

"You lasted longer than Roy did his first time," Sara teased lightly, "Took him about a week before he could get a jab in."

"I know where you keep your toothbrush," Roy said in a half joking and half-threatening tone, making Sara laugh.

Felicity lifted off her towel and tried not to gap. Sara, her bodyguard, her constant silent and almost always judgmental looking companion, had laughed. Not wanting to put the spotlight on her she just said, "Good to know I lasted longer than Roy."

"We've only had a couple sessions together. You're learning quickly," Sara said, offering her hand for Felicity to take.

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one that will be covered in bruises tomorrow," Felicity groaned, moving her hand over her tender side once she was on her feet. "You knocked me down enough times that the training mats and I are BFF's. We're getting friendship bracelets," Felicity said, making both Sara and Roy laugh.

"You'll get used to it. We all did," Sara said with a small understanding smile, handing Felicity a water bottle, "It'll be worth it in the end, trust me."

"Thanks," Felicity said, drinking water greedily.

"You need to work your hips into it," Diggle announced from the other side of the foundry, where he was silently watching the spectacle, "That's where all the power comes from."

"Oh God! How do you do that?" Felicity said, almost spitting out her water. "Moving all silently like that? And why are you in the shadows? Who do you think you are? Darth Vader or something?" Felicity rambled, a hand pressed to her chest.

Diggle shrugged before calmly saying, "I wanted to check out your training. Not bad for someone that's never had training before."

"Thanks, I guess," she said awkwardly. Diggle and her were still in a weird place in comparison to the others. At least Sara and Roy had warmed up to her. Diggle still kept his distance like a skittish animal; ready to strike at the first sign of trouble.

"I would offer my help, but Sara is doing a great job on her own," Diggle said, making Sara smile at him.

"That's because I had a great teacher," Sara supplied, stretching out a bit, "One that maybe should stop lurking in the shadows and actually help."

"Good to know," Diggle replied, a smile cracking on his face as he approached them.

Felicity felt like she was in the Twilight Zone. Teasing, joking, and then smiling from Diggle? She was really seeing things she'd never seen before while training here. It was almost as if she was getting a sneak peek at who they really were. This was progress. Especially Diggle, who she was pretty sure would brood and die of a heart attack before the age of 50.

Diggle turned his smile to Felicity. It dimmed a little but still was there. "Anyway, if you need help with your training, let me know," Diggle offered Felicity.

"Thank you. I will," she said, feeling that maybe he was warming up to her.

Diggle gave her a nod before peering down at his phone, "Come on Roy, Oliver's got some things he wants us to do."

Roy quickly pulled on his red hoodie and walked towards him, "Later."

"See you, ladies," Diggle said, as he and Roy walked up the metal stairs and out of the foundry.

"Bye," both Sara and Felicity replied, now alone for the first time all day.

Felicity moved to sit in front of her computers, drinking the last of her water bottle, as Sara moved to put the mats back in place. Felicity would have offered to help but Sara had the strictest organization for her training storage.

She wrung the empty bottle in her hands for a couple seconds before saying, "Hey, Sara?"

"Yeah?" Sara said without turning around.

"Can…I ask you a question?"

"You just did," Sara said, turning to look at her with a small smile. When she saw Felicity's serious face she said, "But sure, shoot."

"Why…why did you join Bratva when your father is a Detective for the SCPD?"

"Oh that," Sara said, looking away from Felicity and finishing cleaning up. Picking up her water bottle she sat in another chair near Felicity. "I was wondering how long you would wait to ask me that," Sara said softly, "Ever since you asked me how he chose us."

"I'm just curious…I mean…it's a little bit ironic that you of all people are in Oliver's inner circle; the daughter of a Detective. Yet he trusts you and you him," Felicity explained, "You once said that Oliver did much more than just save your life. What did you mean by that?"

"It's a long story," Sara mumbled, clearly uncomfortable with the subject.

"You don't have to tell me if you feel uncomfortable. I guess…I just wanted to understand."

A pregnant silence filled the basement. Sara seemed lost in her own memories and Felicity kicked herself mentally for putting Sara on the spot. She of all people should know that some things are better left unsaid. Buried in the past.

"I…I wasn't always like this," Sara said, pointing at all of herself, "Not long ago, I was wild, broken and lost. I…always felt out of place growing up. I always felt that I was the ugly duckling in the perfect family. My mom was a history professor and my dad a cop. My older sister…she…she was always the perfect child. Smart, polite, beautiful, always on top of her class and out of problems. All the things that I never felt that I could be." Sara pushed her body further into the chair. "When I was 16 my parents got a divorce – my mom had fallen in love with another man – and I guess I didn't take the news very well."

Sara ran her hand through her hair and looked up at Felicity as if trying to gauge her reaction. Felicity grabbed Sara another water bottle and handed it to her; silently encouraging her. Felicity was here to listen to whatever Sara wanted to share with her.

"I got angry…and I lost myself…in the wrong things and in the wrong people," Sara said, tucking her hair behind her ears and looking venerable for the first time since Felicity had known her, "By the time I was 21, I had bailed college and partied my way into drugs and debt. That's how I ended up at Verdant and in the clutches of its newest drug dealer, Antony Ivo."

Sara cracked open the water bottle, using the distraction to ground herself.

"I'm sorry, Sara," Felicity said, struggling for words. No one had shared a secret like this with her before, "You don't have to..."

"No, I want to tell you," Sara said, keeping her eyes on the bottle in her hands. Things like this were difficult to talk about but she had decided that Felicity could know this piece of her. Maybe she could even learn a bit more about the world she was now in, "He was pushing a hallucinogenic called Vertigo. By the time Ivo came to collect the only thing I owned I hadn't talked to my family in months."

Felicity's eyes widened in realization, "Oh."

Sara nodded in agreement, "Yeah. Luckily Oliver showed up."

"Oliver?"

"Oliver was out for a smoke and he heard my screams. One second he was on me and the next Oliver ripped him off me, killed him with his bare hands," Sara looked up at Felicity, "And you know what he said to me?"

"What?" Felicity asked, eyes never wavering from her. She felt like Sara had pulled back a layer of herself and showed Felicity something special; how she was chosen. Felicity wouldn't betray this trust.

"That no woman should suffer at the hands of men," Sara whispered, tears finally pooling in her bright blue eyes. "Oliver saved me that night and all the ones after."

"How?"

Sara ran the back of her hand under eyes, a hint of a smile on her lips, "He helped me get back on my feet. He paid for my rehab, gave me a job at Verdant, and eventually he brought me into Bratva. I told you that Oliver chose you. Well he chose me too. He saw something in me that no one ever saw. He made me accept myself the way I am. Oliver and the brotherhood were what kept me going. What kept me sober all those years."

"Wow," Felicity said, overwhelmed.

"I got back in touch with my family two years ago. I was too messed up before to let them get close to me," Sara said, her tone holding a touch of sadness.

"Does your father know? About Bratva I mean?"

"No," Sara shook her head, "Or at least I think he doesn't know. He knows that while I was high someone tried to hurt me and that Oliver saved me. He thinks I worked at Verdant and that now I'm your personal bodyguard. I think his heart wouldn't be able to take knowing that I'm part of the brotherhood."

"I'm so sorry, Sara. I am so sorry you had to go through all of those things." Felicity said, not hesitating to reach over and take Sara's hand in support, "I just…thank you for sharing this with me."

Sara looked surprised as she returned the hold, "I'm not…sorry anymore. Because if not for them, I wouldn't be the person that I am today. I wouldn't have met Oliver, Diggle, Roy and…even you. I'm happy where I am."

Felicity shifted in her seat before clearing her throat, "Thank you Sara."

The things that Sara had shared with Felicity would change things between the two women. Sara Lance, the person that that could barely stand her presence a couple weeks ago had now shared one of the most personal aspects of her life. Maybe with time Felicity would feel comfortable sharing her own.

* * *

Felicity was more used to seeing the foundry's cement walls than her own bedroom. Between training, following up on Captain Lance and his bugged phone, and beginning her analysis on The Triads systems again, Felicity had very little time to dwell on what was going on between her and Oliver.

So as she put the final touches on her latest gadget, she looked over to where Sara sat. She could feel the woman's eyes on her as she worked. She looked anxious for some reason.

"You know, you watching me work won't make things go any faster," Felicity singsonged as she welded the final piece onto the device for Sara.

"It's not my fault that I'm the only one without any cool toys to play with," Sara said, using her legs to swing her back and forth on the chair she was sitting in next to Felicity's workstation.

"Well, yours needed more attention. It's your own fault for not wearing a watch. Even Roy went with it," Felicity said as she pointed down at the special anti-bugging device she was making for Sara.

Sara had put her foot down a few days ago and said she wouldn't wear the watch that Felicity had designed for them. She'd then gone on to tell Felicity about why she didn't like things touching her wrists and constricting her movements. Felicity immediately looked for an alternative.

"I don't like feeling constricted," Sara insisted easily. She had been a bit more talkative since sharing a piece of herself and Felicity enjoyed the new companionship.

"Yeah, yeah. You already told me that," Felicity said as she finally finished, "Can you pass me the pliers, please?"

"Sure," Sara said, looking inside the toolbox by her feet and finding it quickly, "Here."

"Thanks," Felicity said absentmindedly as her hands worked to attach the anti-bugging device to Sara's locket.

"Ok, I think I'm done," Felicity said, closing the fake stone, connecting the two halves to hide the small device. The black onyx stone was discreet enough that people would believe that Sara had chosen to wear it on her own. Felicity attached it to a gold chain and held it out to Sara.

"Finally. Let me see it," Sara said anxiously, making grabby hands.

"Calm down, will you?" Felicity said with a laugh as Sara took it, "Be careful, it must be hot where I closed it."

"Oh this looks great," Sara said in barely contained excitement as she inspected the small stone. "It's so light, how can you do that?" Sara asked, looking at Felicity curiously. No one had given her something personal like this in ages.

"Magic," Felicity said with a smile, waggling her fingers and making Sara roll her eyes at her.

"What's next? A gun inside a lipstick?" Sara asked as she put on the necklace and inspected the stone.

Felicity shrugged, "I'm sure I can work on something if you'd like. I'm sure there's a Wikipedia page that shows how."

Sara placed a hand on her chest, "You know the way to my heart. You're making me feel like James Bond."

Felicity brightened at the response, "Does that make me your Q?"

"Your geekyness knows no bounds, I hope you know that," Sara said laughing.

"I am well aware of that," Felicity said, grinning and joining in on her light laughter.

They were interrupted by the sound of familiar heavy footsteps coming down the stairs.

She knew it was Oliver before she could see his face.

The tugging at the corner of her lips was involuntary as he approached them. There was something about the casual clothes and stubble-ridden jaw that caused a small flutter of butterflies in her stomach. She didn't know what was happening but her heart was definitely speeding up at the way his eyes brightened slightly at seeing her.

"Hi, boss," Sara said with a smile, still playing with her necklace.

"Sara," Oliver said, "New toy?"

"Yup. Your girl here is full of talents we didn't know of," Sara said, letting the stone rest on top of her light blue top.

"I'm well aware of that," Oliver said with an intensity that made Felicity gulp and Sara get up from her seat.

She looked between them curiously. "You two probably need to talk. I'm going to head out. Behave you two," Sara said with a wink, grabbing her jacket and leaving her and Oliver alone. Felicity immediately turned to putting her tools away.

"So, how are things going?" Oliver asked her, watching as she put her tools back inside the toolbox.

"Improving. The bug that Sara put on Detective Lance's phone is working like a charm. I got a lot of new intel. Not all of it is going to be useful but I'm sure we're getting there. Sadly, my attempts to get inside the Triad's system isn't going so well. After the last time…I guess they got better hackers to protect their system," Felicity rambled.

Oliver walked around the desk and stood next to her; watching her small hands work, "I'm sure you're going to do it."

Felicity felt pride well in her as she closed up her toolbox, "Yeah, I just need to pick up my game a little. The last time it was five of us crashing into their systems. I need to learn how to do everything on my own. Not to mention find out exactly how they tracked us. I can't make the same mistake twice."

Oliver took Sara's empty chair and put himself at her level. He didn't like her casually talking about this. Things like this weren't casual, "It wasn't your fault; you know that right?"

Felicity finally looked up at him, her eyes a bit sad but determined, "I know…but this time it's only my responsibility. I need to take as many precautions as possible. I can't let them track me…us this time."

They both noted the shift in words but didn't comment on it.

"If there's something I'm sure of," Oliver began delicately, "is that you are remarkable in everything you do, Ms. Smoak. You'll figure it out."

"Thank you for remarking on it," she said with a warm smile, one that Oliver returned. Felicity cleared her throat, "Anyway, I've been thinking about this whole thing with Detective Lance. I think we can use this. If we play our cards right, the cops, the FBI, will do all the dirty work for us – without it leading back to us, of course. We just have to dig around and supply them with useable information that matches their investigation."

Oliver looked impressed, "I like the way you think, Ms. Smoak."

"I thought you might, Mr. Queen," she replied, standing up and moving back to her computer station.

Oliver sat there, watching her as she crossed the room. Felicity left him unsure of what to do. He followed her to cover up his hesitation.

Felicity gave him a once over when he pulled up a chair next to desk. He was holding onto something, "Oliver, what's wrong? You're giving off some weird vibes."

"We need to talk."

"Oh. Nothing good ever comes out of the 'we need to talk' speech," Felicity teased, trying to hide her worry. She'd never had a good conversation that started that way. And if it was coming from Oliver's lips it was probably 3, 4, 5 times worse.

"I'm serious," Oliver said, looking at her carefully. The things he was about to tell her were necessary for both of their survival.

"So am I. Super serious with a degree in paying attention," she said, using humor to try to lighten the mood. She could see the furrow on his brow lighten a bit and deemed it a success.

"Fe-li-ci-ty," Oliver said, stretching out her name and making her pause in her rambling thoughts.

"Ok, ok. Say what you need to say, I am all ears," Felicity said, smoothing out her skirt with her hands and focusing entirely on Oliver.

Oliver began, "You know that after my parents and my little sister died, I moved to Russia to live with one of my father's best friends."

"Yes, Anatoly Knyazev aka The Pakhan of Bratva," Felicity completed.

"Exactly."

"He was the one to introduce you to the brotherhood?"

"Yes. He considers me his rightful heir and the future leader of Bratva," Oliver explained, "He raised me to fulfill that part. Every action that he has taken with me ever since he took me in has had this goal in mind."

Felicity blinked, not really knowing what to say, "That's cold."

"He is a cold man," he agreed, mind caught in the past, as Felicity watched on inquisitively.

"Oliver, why are you telling me this? I thought you wanted me to stay away from Bratva business, unless it had to do with the system I designed for QC."

Oliver placed a hand on the desk and leaned a bit forward, "Because as you know, my uncle believes that we are together. That's the only reason why you would be living here in the mansion."

"Yes, that's why we keep this farce up," she said, swallowing past the words. They nagged at her.

"He demanded to meet you next week," Oliver blurted out, wanting to take it off, quick like a bandage.

Felicity reeled back a bit, "Excuse me?"

"I'm going to Moscow," Oliver started to say carefully, watching how face became more disbelieving, "like I do every few months to discuss Bratva business, and he demanded for me to bring you with me."

"Oh my God," she said desperately, as the situation finally hit her. Her hands flailed, as she spoke, "No, Oliver I can't go to Russia with you."

"Hey, everything will be ok," he said, trying to calm her down.

"No, Oliver! It won't," she said as fear coursed through her. He was asking her…no telling her, that she was going to Russia with him to meet the leader of the Russian Mafia. It felt like the entire scale of the situation had tripled.

"We don't have a choice, Felicity."

"Tell him that I can't go. That I have work. That I'm sick. That I'm terrified of planes. Anything," Felicity said frantically, the mere thought of meeting Anatoly sent a chill deep into her bones, "He will know the truth if he sees us together, Oliver."

"Anatoly is not the kind of man that takes no for an answer, Felicity," Oliver explained as he stood from the chair and stepped closer to her, tentatively placing a hand on her shoulder. He knew it was the right decision when she leaned into him, "He always gets what he wants, one way of another. If I don't take you with me, he will be suspicious and he will come after you anyway. The best we can do is to keep pretending, go the easier route. You don't want to go down the hard route, trust me on this."

"Oh God," Felicity said, feeling like she couldn't breathe. Things were so messed up and getting worse.

Oliver squeezed her shoulder. "Hey, we're going to be fine. We have been doing this for a while now. We've fooled a lot of people so far. Even my crazy psychotic ex. We can do that with my uncle, too. Ok?" Oliver said, in an encouraging tone. They had to do this.

Felicity pinched the bridge of her nose and nodded, "Ok."

"After all, what's a week in Russia?"

She gave him a pointed look, "Everything Oliver. It's everything."

* * *

Oliver walked up the stairs of the mansion and towards the west wing. It had been a really long day at the office. Between surprise meetings and reports, Oliver had to even take his lunch hour to deal with one of his Bratva mans attempt to run a side business. Alexei Karenina had become a real problem for Oliver. The greedy 25 year old had apparently gone on a robbery, blackmail, and rape streak that went against the brotherhood code and could expose them. He had paid the price by Oliver's hands and set an example to all. Simple as that.

Oliver might have gotten a little carried away though. Diggle had to rush him back to the mansion to shower and change his bloodstained suit before his board meeting at 2pm. No matter how controlled he tried to be, sometimes he exploded. And he hated this side of him, this monster; this dark and twisted part of himself. Every time he took a life, he felt like a small part of his soul died along with it. In the deepest part of him he feared that The Crow would consume Oliver Queen until one day he would have nothing left but a shadow of a man he once was.

So it wasn't a very good day from Oliver's point of view, no matter how good it started off with his usual morning jog with Felicity.

When he opened his bedroom door, all he could think about was having a hot shower, a warm meal and crash into his bed; forgetting the horrors of his day. What the didn't expect to find was Felicity laying down on the bed, dressed in tight leggings and a loose tank, with her laptop on her lap. She was watching something intently, her headphones on, and surrounded by junk food.

"Felicity?" Oliver called out but she didn't hear him. "Felicity!" he shouted, making her jump, startled.

"Holy Moses, you scared me Oliver," she said, removing her headphones and beaming at him. She hadn't seen him all day and was enjoying the creature comforts of being trusted more and having access to her laptop unsupervised.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked gruffly as he put his briefcase down on a chair and removed his suit jacket, "And why is there junk food all over my bed?" His eyes flickered over the open bag of Cheetos and Skittles on her right and he pint of Mint Chocolate Chip Ice-cream on her left.

Her face scrunched up in confusion, not understanding the fuss, "What?"

"The food! It's going to get all over the comforter," Oliver said in disgust and annoyance. He always hated when people ate in bed, specifically his bed. It wasn't hygienic.

"Really, Oliver?" Felicity asked, the smile slipping off her face as she sat up. She hadn't thought he'd mind. The things around her were angled and she was watching them.

"Yes, really," Oliver said in exasperation as he began unbuttoning his tshirt and revealing the undershirt underneath. He caught sight of the empty glass tucked into her side, "Is that wine? On my bed?"

"I wasn't aware I had to ask for permission!" Felicity remarked with a frown. The anger radiating off of him was starting to affect her. "This is my bed too," she said angrily.

"Well, then keep this crap on your side," he hissed, coming around to his side of the bed and moving her things over the side table. He ran his hand over the comforter, swiping off some crumbs she'd missed.

She bit her lip, feeling a mixture of bad for missing some crumbs and anger at Oliver coming in here with an attitude as if she'd done it maliciously, "Why are you taking this out on me? I didn't do…"

Oliver pulled off his shoes and growled out, "Because I come home, wanting to relax and this is what I see. I don't understand why you…"

She gave him a disbelieving look as she threw up her hands and interrupted him, "I'm PMSing, ok?"

He twisted his body to look at her as she started to ramble.

"The oven is in a cleaning mode. The redcoats are coming. It's shark week," Felicity shouted, making him flinch with each word, "A girl has a right to sit down on 'her' comfy bed, because it's mine too, with comfort food and a little wine from time to time, ok?"

He opened his mouth to apologize. Fuck, he hadn't meant to take this out on her. He was just having a bad day. Felicity didn't allow him to speak as she opened the Skittles bag and popped a couple into her mouth.

"So I'm sorry that you'd rather not have all of this in here. But if I have to sleep in here, pretend that I am your girlfriend, so that your psychotic uncle won't kill us both, while suffering through some very personal issues that include cravings and cramps, then you'll have to endure it," she said, her skin flushed and her breathing a bit labored.

Oliver's shoulders deflated and he scratched the back of his neck, unsure of what to say next, "I apologize. I…I've had a bad day."

She hummed, clearly still mad, and laid back on her mountain of pillows. He fiddled with the sleeves of his shirt as he watched her uncertainly. She began typing, seemingly ignoring him.

"So…what are you doing on your computer?" Oliver carefully asked, trying to smooth out the tension in the room.

"Watching Netflix," she said under her breath.

Oliver removed his shirt and folded it over the chair nearby. Felicity did not follow his body with her eyes.

When he turned back to her he climbed into bed next to her, catching the red across the top of the screen, "Netflix?"

When she nodded and gave him no further response he sighed, "Where's the wine?"

Felicity's eyes flicked to his before looking over to the sitting area. A chilled wine bottle sat there. Picking up her empty glass he went and refilled it for her.

The crinkle between her brows eased when the glass was in her hands.

"So, Netflix?" Oliver tried again.

Felicity nodded, a small smile forming on her lips at the taste of the wine. "Yeah, I'm doing an X-files marathon," she said, freezing for a second and pointing at Oliver, "Don't you dare judge me, Oliver Queen."

Oliver held up his hands in defense, leaning back into the mountain of pillows next to her, his shoulder touching hers. When she didn't flinch away from him, Oliver knew that it was better, the cloud that he had come into the room with dispersing, "I happen to like the X-files."

"Really?" she challenged in a skeptical tone, as she slid down a bit. He followed her example, "You better not be messing with me. This is a classic here and a no mocking zone."

"I'm not. It was one of my favorite shows when I was a kid. I loved the mix of mystery and science. The truth is out there you know?" Oliver said with a small smirk as Felicity's eyebrows rose high up on her head, still disbelieving, "But it's…been a while since I watched it. Years actually."

"I would never pick you as an X-Files lover," Felicity finally relented, as she clicked through the seasons and sipped her wine. She'd forgive him for being a jerk.

Oliver scooted a bit closer to look down at the screen, his thigh pressed against hers, "Well, it so happens that you don't know everything about me Ms. Smoak."

"Really? Like what?" she challenged him as her eyes traced his profile; the stubble sprinkled over his jaw and the soft slope of his nose and lips. This is the Oliver she had been expecting to return from work. She shifted awkwardly when he reached over and placed his hand on hers, scrolling through the episodes.

"Until I was 9 years old my dream was to be an astronaut," Oliver said,

"Seriously?" Felicity asked as she slipped her hand out from underneath his and continued to sip her wine.

"Oh yeah, my parents even bought me age appropriate and useable astronaut gear for my 8th birthday," Oliver admitted, making Felicity laugh into her glass, imagining a cute little blonde boy that dreamed to visit the moon. He hid his own smile by keeping turned away from her. He selected an episode.

"Let's watch this one," Oliver pointed out as the opening scene began.

Felicity gave a nod in approval as a boy appeared on screen, being chased by Mulder Fox, of all people. Neither of them moved away from each other or spoke as the episode played. The only movement was of the laptop so it sat half way on both of their laps and the 'careful' passing of Cheetos and Skittles to each other. When one episode became four Oliver called for another glass for himself and another bottle of wine. They managed to polish that one off as well; all the while still pressed against each other's warm side.

Oliver's eyes couldn't help but flicker over to Felicity as they watched. Half of the time she was flinching at something that she knew was already coming and the other she was mouthing the words Mulder and Scully spoke, under her breath. Only occasionally would she look to him to ask him a small question or comment.

When Mulder and Scully entered a large and lavish house, Felicity couldn't help but think of Oliver running around in the Queen Mansions as a child, laughing and playing. For the first time in the episode she pulled her eyes away to look over at Oliver. She was surprised to catch him staring, "It must had been amazing growing up in here."

He was surprised by the comment but answered, "It was. My little sister, Thea, and I…we would always play in the gardens. We liked to pretend that my mom's garden was our own little world. We had the most amazing adventures there. We would play there until it was dark most days. It used to drive my mom crazy. She was always scared that we would get lost or hurt."

"Seems like you had a great family," Felicity supplied, watching Oliver's eyes become a bit distant, the wine loosening him up.

"I did," Oliver whispered, sadness filling the room.

"Oliver…I'm sorry," Felicity said, hating the way that Oliver's face fell at the mere thought of his sister. He had suffered more than anyone ever could or should. Destiny had been cruel with him.

"So am I," Oliver said, sadness lacing his voice.

Not liking what she was seeing and wanting that sadness erased from his face, Felicity blurted out, "I used to eat letter pancakes."

Oliver face shifted slowly into one of amusement, "What?"

"I mean…" Felicity rubbed her forehead, dislodging a lock of hair tucked behind her ear, "I mean, when I was younger the person that I watched X-Files with. I showed it to her, Ms. Watson, and from then on it was 'X' shaped pancakes with enough syrup to make you bounce off the walls."

Oliver chuckled, tucking the lock back behind her ear. She tucked her chin to her chest in embarrassment at her rambling. She looked up in surprise when the fingers only mean for a light touch, trailed down the curve of her cheek.

In that precise moment everything changed.

Oliver's blue eyes weren't just looking at her anymore. They were looking into her. Her breathing hitched as his fingers stopped at the curve of her chin; holding her face in place. He'd never looked at her like that before. With longing. Desire.

He gulped, his lips parting and pupils dilating when a light flush crept over cheeks and the curve of her neck. She'd never looked at him like that before; as if her eyes were pinning him down. She was keeping him there in this moment.

Slowly their bodies leaned into each other, the lines of their bodies already pressed together; making the distance short. This felt right. As if they belonged together in these moments; arguing about their day, forgiving each other, watching a show together, and now…

His eyes moved to her lips when her tongue peeked out to lick them. Felicity's eyes started to slide shut as he curled his fingers and tilted her head up. Their breath fluttered over each others lips and she waited for that moment; proof that they were feeling something new here. Something like nothing felt before.

It never came.

Oliver pulled back from her, shattering the moment.

"I'm going to…put the food away. The ice-cream is done for but I'll put the rest of the wine away," Oliver said in a husky voice, sliding off the bed. He shifted his leg uncomfortably and Felicity kept her eyes on the laptop to hide her confusion and slight disappointment.

She didn't look up as he picked up everything and rushed to the door; leaving them both perplexed and faintly aroused.

* * *

Since arriving at the mansion, Felicity had never cooked her own breakfast, lunch or dinner. In the beginning Sara had brought food to her room; breakfast, lunch, and dinner. She had never left the room and had been kept isolated for the good of all. That had all changed when she had finally accepted the offer to sleep on the opposite side of Oliver's bed. In a way it was her accepting the situation she was really in, trusting that they could do this. From then on Felicity would be brought downstairs to have her meals in the kitchen courtesy of Nicholai with her often-silent companion Sara. It was the same thing when she was at QC or at Verdant except that Diggle or Roy would usually bring her lunch.

This time it was different.

Nicholai had called out sick this morning and wouldn't be returning until tomorrow. This gave Felicity the opportunity to do something she hadn't done in weeks. Cook for herself.

And she was good at it.

Oliver watched from his spot down one of the kitchen hallways. Felicity had managed to pull an impressive spread almost all on her own. Besides Sara cutting up the fruit, Diggle toasting the bread and Roy setting up the plates, Felicity had cooked the rest on her own. Each plate was served up with homemade pumpkin spice pancakes, that made a sad but happy smile bloom on her face, ghosts from her past haunting her. Along with that she served up eggs, bacons, home fries and a side of fruit.

There was this 'bustling' atmosphere going on in the kitchen. As if it had come alive for the first time in years. And it was all centered on the petite blonde who kept on pushing up her glasses up her nose as she measured things in her large mixing bowls. Felicity instructed them on what to do with an ease he had never seen, all the while talking about how she used to cook with her friends and with her old neighbors when she was a child. And they didn't just listen. His guards, his inner circle, his most trusted friends, actually replied to the small pieces she was giving up about herself with a matching one.

Roy gave up how he used to like his bacon a little bit more chewy when he was a kid. Sara gave up how Sundays used to be big breakfast days when her parents were still together. Diggle gave up how he liked his coffee black with the tiniest hint of sugar. And Felicity catalogued it all and made it happen without even being asked.

Oliver continued to watch them silently.

He couldn't deny the fact that there was a smile tugging at the corners of his lips and he couldn't deny that she was changing things. Slowly but surely they were becoming a more grounded team, shifting into a new and more stable position that made him feel like this was the closest thing to a family he'd had in the past 20 years. And damn it all…it made him happy. It made him happy to know that he could still feel like this. That there was still warmth somewhere in there inside that his family had made sure he kept to use again one day.

It also made him scared. It confused him and made him wonder about what would happen if he took a step forward; if he really locked into place with this dynamic that was brewing between his closest allies and Felicity. If he gave himself this chance to be happy, to let her in, he would be vulnerable. And like everything vulnerable in his life, they were prone to attack. He wasn't sure that he could survive it once more.

He watched as Roy, Sara and Diggle were served up by Felicity after they sat at the breakfast nook.

With each moment that he spent with Felicity and with each smile or laugh that they shared, he felt like he was getting closer to the point of no return. Where he couldn't pull back from her sass, fiery nature, or kind smile without it leaving an imprint on him. Yesterday was a prime example of that. They had almost kissed. He was certain of it. And he wanted to do it, not because he was all hot and bothered and wanted to have sex, no…he wanted to do it because it felt like the right thing to do. He felt comfortable laying there with her, reminiscing about the past, and he, Oliver Queen, wanted to sweetly kiss her.

It was a revelation to himself and how things were shifting.

Letting out a sigh, he took a step back. He didn't want to interrupt them.

"Where do you think you're going?" a voice asked from behind him.

He turned to see Felicity standing there with her hands on her hips, a small pout on her face and a hint of flour on her cheek that he wanted to clean off. He was so lost in his thoughts that she had managed to sneak up on him.

He opened his mouth to say something but Felicity cut him off.

"You were leaving, weren't you?" Felicity said, raising an eyebrow as the pout disappeared and was replaced with a teasing look, "After creeping in this hallway and watching us ready breakfast for the last half hour, you're going to leave without a word?"

His lips parted. He didn't know what to say.

"Well come on," Felicity said in a voice that left no room for argument, as she turned and began walking back to the kitchen. When she reached the archway she turned back to him and said, "I made you pancakes in the shape of X's. Can't let them go to waste."

Oliver snorted in amusement to hide the fact that she had seen him and thought of making him a plate. She wanted him to join them. He began walking towards her, lightness to his step, "Of course we can't."

When he took his seat next to her and began to eat with his closest, he wondered if fighting against this new shift and dynamic was of any use. In many ways it already looked like he was past the point of no return.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter! We're slowly moving into them becoming more intimate for each other and becoming used to being in each other's space. Russia is coming soon and its coming fast! **

**Love,**

**PoisonAngelMuse &amp; TheAlternativeSource**


	9. Behind Blue Eyes

**The Crow Chapter 9 – Behind Blue Eyes**

**Disclaimer:** We own nothing but our plot and our own characters. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to DC Comics and CW Television. All rights over this idea and its concepts belong to us. This work is intended for the private enjoyment of the reader and is not to be shared on any other sites (besides AO3 and FF) or events without our express permission.

* * *

**A/N: Hi everyone! Thank you all for the amazing support. We love you guys so much! It's been a crazy ride!**

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**Link for The Crow Soundtrack - /lyra-aureus/the-crow-official-soundtrack**

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**Music – Behind Blue Eyes by The Who**

* * *

No one knows what it's like  
To be the bad man  
To be the sad man  
Behind blue eyes  
And no one knows  
What it's like to be hated  
To be faded to telling only lies

_But my dreams they aren't as empty__  
__As my conscience seems to be__  
__I have hours, only lonely__  
__My love is vengeance__  
__That's never free_

_No one knows what its like__  
__To feel this feelings__  
__Like I do, and I blame you!__  
__No one bites back as hard__  
__On their anger__  
__None of my pain and woe__  
__Can show through_

_No one knows what its like__  
__To be mistreated, to be defeated__  
__Behind blue eyes__  
__No one know how to say__  
__That they're sorry and don't worry__  
__I'm not telling lies_

_No one knows what its like__  
__To be the bad man, to be the sad man__  
__Behind blue eyes.__  
_

* * *

The next week came faster than Felicity expected.

Between training with Sara and working at the foundry to finish Diggle and Roy's devices, time flew by. Throw on top of that the fact that Oliver had started making it back home before she fell asleep and would watch an episode or two of X-Files with her, she barely paid attention. On one memorable occasion they'd even contemplated watching The Hunger Games together but passed it off for Leslie Knope. The little shifts in their dynamic continued. Felicity couldn't help but focus more on the fact that she practically melted back into his…no their pillows as if they'd always done this; side by side, poking light fun at each other in whispers as if someone would break this bubble if they spoke too loud.

Felicity felt like this bubble growing around them was one of comfort &amp; safety mixed with flickers of something she'd caught mere glances of; the man Oliver was. She was under the impression that she had been seeing the man that Oliver could be when he shared with her small tidbits about Thea. But she was wrong. She wasn't seeing the man he could be if Bratva had never come into his life. She was seeing the man he already was despite what had happened to him. The part that he held onto throughout all these years. The part that soothed her when she woke up from nightmares. That was the man she grown to care about.

She'd seen it. And that was the reason why she'd stopped fighting against Russia.

Things with the Triad had to be put on the back burner; how they found them, how to infiltrate their systems, and how they could use the system against them. Part of her wished that Oliver could have made up an excuse. That she was sick or had work to do. But she understood. This wasn't just for her. This wasn't just for Oliver. This was for all of them.

For us.

She would make Anatoly believe that they were in a stable relationship that was full of mutual love and understanding even if her stomach twisted at the thought of being in the same room at him, not to mention lying to the Pakhan of Bratva. But they didn´t had any other choice, did they?

When the day came she didn't even have to pack her own bags. Sara had taken charge of Felicity's bags and had packed them the night before, while Felicity curled up on Oliver's bed. She was nervous and scared about what would happen in the morning and sleep was the only thing to calm her mind since Oliver wasn't home yet and she didn't like the thought of watching something on Netflix alone.

When morning came, Oliver acted like everything was normal. They went on their morning jog. She had breakfast while he dealt with some things in his office. And they ended up getting ready in separate rooms before ending up together in Oliver's room.

"I look like my mother," Felicity blurted out, curling her bare toes into the floor. They were essentially done, Oliver's suitcase on the bed and Felicity's personal items in a small carryon next to his. Like they belonged there, together. Again, a domestic feeling washed over her.

"What?" Oliver asked as he looked at two ties in his hands, trying to decide which to take.

"Right now," Felicity pointed at the image in the mirror in front of her. She was wearing a light colored knit dress that flattered her figure and was without a doubt the most comfortable thing she'd ever worn, "I look like my mother. Maybe not as much makeup, but the hair…the very very blonde hair and the clothes. I look like my mom."

Oliver chose the blue tie before glancing at her. Without a beat he said, "Then she must be beautiful."

Felicity felt her breath catch in her throat and her cheeks flush at the sureness in his voice. She felt a creeping sense of pride at her appearance pull at her. Sure she was getting used to the woman she was seeing in the mirror, the woman she'd been seeing every time she brushed her teeth, showered or caught her reflection in passing. But there was no use in denying that it was nice having someone call her beautiful.

Especially with how handsome he was.

Not so stealthily she watched his movements, how he traced a hand over his incredibly attractive stubble, trying to decide what shirt to pack. He was wearing slacks and a button up, bare feet padding across the floor. She was falling into a new 'dynamic' with this man. Fitting into his world easier than she expected while building a bond that was growing stronger than just a partnership. She saw it and she knew without a doubt that he saw it too. It scared her.

They had almost kissed. And it wasn't a fluke. It wasn't just a trip up. It was them growing closer as people and beginning to trust each other. And now they were putting that trust to the test.

"Shouldn't we have practiced what we're going to say?" Felicity asked, hands fiddling with the neck of her dress. She'd been thinking about this question all morning.

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked back from the walk-in closet. He came back out with socks in his hands.

"What we're going to say to Anatoly? To Raisa? Shouldn't we practice?" she repeated.

He put the socks away, "Do you think we should?"

Felicity's eyes widened as if he could even ask such a thing, "Of course! What if they ask us how we met or what side of the bed we prefer or if we like our coffee with three sugars instead of four?"

Oliver tilted his head at her, "You were an independent consultant working for another company when we met. You made me…smile."

The words didn't sound as strained, as they would have weeks ago. It almost sounded…real.

"And the rest is history?"

Oliver shook his head, "Oh no. You were a fuss, hot headed. Liked trailing mud and water on my carpets." He said with a smirk.

Felicity felt the urge to stick her tongue out at him, "Takes one to know one."

Oliver chuckled lightly as he tucked his hands into his pockets and turned to her. "Now that is exactly why it all happened," Oliver stated, "And as for the other stuff, you sleep on the right side and you like your coffee with enough sugar and milk that it's no longer coffee and just sugar."

Felicity met his eyes in the mirror, a whirl of thoughts following. She didn't think he'd been paying attention to that small bit the times they'd had breakfast together. But apparently Oliver had been watching her as much as she watched him. She…was happy she was wrong.

"Two sugars and a splash of milk," fell from her lips. She felt pleased to know something about such a private man. She felt even more pleased when he looked surprised by her knowing the information, "Your coffee. That's how you like it." She said, making a hint of a smile form on his lips.

"There is one thing we really haven't talked about," Oliver said as he stepped forward, closing the distance between them until he was about two feet behind her. His eyes met hers in the mirror.

She pressed her flat hands against her dress, the look he was giving her made her nervous, like he was seeing more when he looked at her. Like he was seeing through her.

"That is?"

"Touching. It does not matter how much we know about each other if we can't pull off touching. After all, couples are supposed to be comfortable touching each other. It should be as natural as breathing."

Felicity felt her stomach clench, "And you bring this up now? We could have been touching days ago." She said exasperated.

Oliver raised an eyebrow and Felicity rubbed her temples, chuckling lightly, "Sorry. My mind and my mouth sometimes don't work together. You were saying?"

The corner of his mouth lifted in a small and amused smile as he lifted a hand and placed it on the curve of her waist. Her breath hitched as he stepped even closer, "Just small touches. Like that first night at the club."

They both remembered that night. They had fallen into each other, bodies folded together as they laughed. To an outsider it must have looked impossible. The Crow had actually laughed with her, body relaxed as they swayed gently.

He gave her a questioning look and she nodded. Oliver closed the distance between them, his warm chest pressing against her back and his other hand coming up to rest on her other hip. He leaned forward and hooked his chin over shoulder.

"See, easy," Oliver muttered, warm breath fluttering over her skin.

Both were quiet for a second as they took in the picture they painted. A month ago, when she still was black haired and angry, they wouldn't have clicked. Wouldn't have fallen into place as much. And even with the changes in her appearance she wouldn't have seen them clicking. Now things were different. They looked relaxed and in place no matter how nervous they felt inside. They fit together.

It scared her.

It scared him.

Still holding her he began to speak, "I will be colder in Russia. More calculating and distant. Watching Anatoly. Watching everyone. It's expected. They expect The Crow."

She placed a hand on her stomach and he slid his hand around and off her waist to slip under her hand, fingers slotting into place, another test to check their level of comfort with each other.

It was easy.

"Understandable," Felicity answered, voice a bit thick.

"Anatoly will test me. He will test you. He will test us," Oliver explained, thinking over all the possibilities and situations they could get into, "I need you to follow my lead and remember that you are mine as much as I am yours."

Felicity bit her lip, secretly loving the use of the word 'yours'. The pull between them grew as he relaxed against her.

"I have another thing for you," Oliver said, eyes flickering down hesitantly before he removed the hand on her hip and pulled something out of it. He held it in front of Felicity.

It was a pearl necklace. Like the earrings that he had made her wear before, they looked expensive.

"You want me to wear…that?" she said as he pulled back a bit and unclasped the necklace. She lifted her hair out of the way and he laid it around her neck, closing the clasp back up.

He paused at the sight of the pearl necklace around her neck. Years of training and concentration stopped him from tearing up at the sight of them around her pale neck, "They were my mothers."

She gasped, hand coming up to hesitantly touch it, "Oliver. I can't wear this."

He slid back into place behind her, hands wavering on her hips before coming around and lacing together on her stomach. The touch felt intimate and she felt like the room's temperature had shot up, "I want you to wear them."

"Because Anatoly would see it as a sign of how important our relationship is?" Felicity asked cautiously, placing her hands over the ones causing her stomach to flutter and breath to catch.

Oliver's brilliant blue eyes captured hers one more time, a coldness lingering in them of things from his past, "Because I want you to wear them."

There was firmness in his voice; a calm nature that was hiding a storm inside Oliver. He was glad when she nodded and let it rest for the moment. This was a big step for both of them. Russia would test them and him giving her, his mother's necklace, was something not to be discussed yet.

"Do you want to play 20 questions?" he asked unexpectedly, breaking the growing tension between them.

Felicity relaxed back into him in surprise, face relaxing, "What? Really?"

She felt his shrug, "Get a little practice with the 'touching' and get to know more things about each other just in case."

He was giving her an opening to move past the heaviness that weighed them both down. She took it.

Tilting her head back against him, she pursed her lips for a second, thinking of a question, "Ok. My turn first."

Oliver snorted. He remembered the shift he'd felt between them the first time they'd done this, "Isn't it my turn?"

She didn't comment on how he had even remembered that. That night had been shocking.

"You're right," she muttered as he settled his head against hers, stubble scratching her skin lightly and making her stomach do somersaults. This felt right, "It is your turn. Fire away."

His mind went back to the first day he met her, when he went through her things while trying to figure her out, the small stack of comics he'd found inside.

"Ok, I got it. Fastest man alive. The Flash or Superman?"

Neither noticed when Sara peeked into the room 20 minutes later to give them a thirty-minute warning before they left. Both were too absorbed in learning everything they could about each other. One silly question at a time.

* * *

The flight to Russia was shorter than she expected.

Never being on a flight so long, she'd been nervous. But Oliver, Roy and Sara had seemed to catch on to her fear and kept the conversation light until she felt her eyes begin to droop. After a short nap Oliver had spent the rest of the flight telling her small things about the man that they would be meeting and why it was necessary for Diggle to stay behind and make sure everything stayed the same. Everything he told her made her even more anxious to meet the cold and calculating Anatoly.

But it wasn't all bad. Oliver also told her about Raisa, his surrogate mother of sorts. He was content when he spoke of her. Truly happy. He held the same reverence for his best friend, Slade. He would be the one picking them up from the airstrip and she could see how excited he was, no matter how much he tried to dull it down.

This was a trip to assure that Anatoly believed their ruse. But this was also a trip where Oliver got to see his family again, no matter how small it was, it was his family. And he was including her in this.

When they finally landed, plane pumping lightly on the strip, she felt some of the tension at flying, being replaced by the tension of actually meeting other members of Bratva; high ranking members.

None of them spoke as the plane pulled off to the side of the strip and a SUV approached them. Roy and Sara began collecting their luggage as Oliver helped her into a thick coat.

"Do you trust me?" Oliver asked in a whisper that Felicity almost missed.

He looked as apprehensive as she felt as he buttoned up the front of her coat. She could only nod.

Oliver pinned her with a probing look, before nodding and leading her off the plane. Her eyes didn't focus on the imposing figure Oliver made as they descended the small flight of stairs. Her eyes didn't focus on the open space around them, the tall pine trees or the shining black SUV next to them. No, her eyes focused on the man approaching them.

Oliver released his hold on her he hugged the dark, tall and muscular looking man.

"Slade, it's been too long," Oliver greeted, patting his back before pulling away. He'd missed the man greatly, "You're getting old."

Slade sniggered, "And I see your jokes haven't gotten better, Kid."

Oliver laughed lightly before turning to Felicity and ushering her forward. "Slade, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend," the words fell off Oliver's lips easily, "Felicity Smoak."

Slade didn't give her a once over like she expected. Neither did he question why she was here with an icy look to match. He just held out his hand and inclined his head slightly, "Ms. Smoak. It's lovely to meet you."

Felicity pushed her slipping glasses back up her nose before taking his hand and shaking it, "Likewise. But please call me Felicity."

"As long as you call me Slade," he replied as he steered them to the SUV where Roy and Sara were already putting things away.

"Ok, its nice to meet you Slade," Felicity said as Sara took her bag. She let Felicity keep her purse.

"Now let's get you all out of the cold," Slade said quickly, hands rubbing together before he hopped into the drivers seat. Oliver pressed a kiss to her temple before helping her into the back seat between Roy and Sara.

Then they were off.

The ride to the estate owned by Anatoly took them almost forty-five minutes. The winding &amp; heavily forest lined road was empty; the wind howling outside. And as the sunset hit the horizon, Felicity could feel her nerves really start to get to her. She had spent the entire flight trying to convince herself that it would all be ok; that she and Oliver would be able to pull this off. But right now, she wasn't so sure.

She was terrified.

Oliver and Slade had fallen into an easy conversation in the front seat, and even though she couldn't understand a word they were saying as they spoke in Russian – a regular occurrence every time he dealt with Bratva business in front of her – he looked strangely relaxed. Like Oliver felt he could let go for a second, because Slade Wilson was there. The older man, that had eyes filled with sadness, seemed to be a safe shore for Oliver.

He had thawed during the time that they had spent together. But this was something entirely different.

With Roy and Sara silently flanking her she spent the drive silently freaking out while scrolling through some line lines of code on her tablet. She thought of Oliver's words when he explained what was expected of them and what would happen. She could do this…no matter how unsettled she felt.

The forest began thinning and they turned down a road with a tall and elegant looking iron gate at the end of it; tall and dark moss covered brick walls started out from it. Two tall pine trees flanked the gates, along with two posts that lit the path with its lanterns.

Slade slid his car window down, his hands moving over the keypad tucked into a nook in the dark stone. Almost immediately a voice on the other side of the intercom spoke something in Russian, which Slade responded to it with his own bit of Russian. Only then did Felicity realize that the gate had cameras blended to hide among the stone and pine trees; top of the line tech.

This was Bratva.

A few seconds later, the gates started to open for them and Slade started the car again. They rode through a finely gravel road, sheltered by lines of trees that looked as old as time.

Felicity looked through the glass, eyes wide with curiosity, watching how the night descended on the estate. Then she saw it. A chill ran down her spine and she pulled her coat closer to her body. She was so distracted that she didn't see Oliver glancing back at her, gauging her reaction.

The dark brick mansion was enormous, old and imposing. It was built in the middle of the state and framed by perfectly trimmed gardens. It was three stories and had an array of lit windows and chimneys. When they rounded the front driveway she caught sight of the large dark double doors that lead inside.

This was it.

Slade turned off the car in front of the main entrance. "Welcome to the Knyazev estate, Felicity," Slade said, his eyes meeting Felicity's in the rear view mirror before he stepped out and opened the door on Roy's side and Oliver opened the door on Sara's side. He exited the car first and when Felicity slid down the seat to exit a hand appeared by her face. She took it without hesitation and was pulled close by Oliver; who had come around the car.

A touch of relief washed over them both at the proximity.

"Are you ready for this?" Oliver asked her, whispering the words in her ear, as he held tight to her hand. They both saw the line that they were about to cross. The danger they were about to enter.

"I think so," she said, her voice shaking.

Oliver pumped his nose against Felicity's temple, "Try to relax. I promise you I won't let anything happen to you, ok?"

She closed her eyes, letting out an exhale. She could do this.

"Ok," she agreed, nodding. He pressed one last kiss to her cheek before pulling away.

"Let's go," Oliver said, tucking her hand into the bend of his arm and walking around the car towards Slade, Sara, and Roy. They were standing by the door.

Felicity ran her eyes on the large stone staircase that lead to the front door. The large columns next to the door made the place look even older and more sinister.

"This place isn't haunted, is it?" she blurted out without thinking.

"No," Oliver said, a small laugh leaving him.

"Are you sure? Cause it sure as hell looks haunted," she hissed almost playfully, pulling her coat closer to her body, and in turn bringing Oliver closer to her.

"Only by all the souls that live here," Slade joked, making Felicity's mouth drop open. He immediately tried to take his words back at Oliver's pointed look, "I'm kidding."

"You guys have the worse sense of humor," she said, feeling her nerves creeping back up.

"Hey, you don't need to be worried," Oliver said loud enough for the others to hear, patting the hand tucked into his arm.

"I'm not," she lied.

He raised a brow, "Really?"

"Ok, maybe a little. It's not every day that you fly to Russia to meet your boyfriends family, whose uncle is also the leader of a powerful organization. I'm just peachy," she said with the least reassuring laugh, and Oliver knew that she was trying to mask her fear with humor so Slade would not see it.

"They are going to adore you," he assured her.

"How do you know that?"

"Because I do."

The declaration made her look up sharply. Before she could ask, Slade interrupted them.

"Come on, love birds. Your uncle is waiting, and we both know he isn't the most patient man," Slade said, pushing the double doors open and stepping through. Oliver placed his other hand against the one holding onto his arm and followed Slade. Roy and Sara followed behind them with their bags.

Felicity's grip on Oliver tightened as they stepped inside. They walked into the expansive foyer. The antique house had light colored marble floors and a high ceiling, with antique paintings adorning the walls. The house had an aged feeling that was as scary as it was charming. Things had happened here; horrifying and terrifying things that had helped to shape the man that stood close to her. She didn't want to be in this place. And from the way that Oliver's jaw clenched and his stance hardened, she knew he didn't want to be there either.

Two men dressed in black suits walked up to Sara and Roy, helped with some of the luggage and led them away. They were all tense, quiet, colder here. Felicity and Oliver missed the easy-going conversation and light nature that had persisted during their flight at that moment.

Slade also left them there, saying that he had something's to look into, and would catch up with them later.

Oliver held tightly onto her hand, bringing her body as close as possible to his as they walked further into the house, her high heels echoing in the room. In here he was not the man she'd gotten to know over the past couple of weeks, in here he wasn't the Oliver Queen that could be playful and sweet, that helped her face her fears and would sooth her nightmares away. In here he was The Crow.

"_Oh, my boy," _a feminine voice said as rushed steps could be heard. A dark haired woman in her late sixties rushed towards them. She was elegantly dressed, her beautiful blue eyes filled with motherly affection as she approached them. Oliver's grip on her loosened as the woman reached them and pulled him into a hug. "_Oh, my beautiful boy_," she said again, as Oliver wrapped his arms around her.

"_Raisa,"_ he whispered in a thick tone as he buried his face against her hair. He held her tight, as tears filled her eyes.

"_Ollie, I missed you so much,"_ she whispered, hugging him tighter.

"_I missed you too_," he said as he softly pulled away from her hug and turned towards Felicity, _"Raisa, this is my girlfriend, Felicity."_

"_Felicity, what a lovely name," _she said with a large smile, as she nodded proudly of Oliver's choice.

Raisa's eyes looked at her expectantly and Felicity shifted in place,"I'm sorry? I don't speak Russian."

"I apologize," Raisa said in English, making Felicity feel relieved. She held out her hand, "I'm Raisa Knyazev, Oliver's aunt."

"It's so nice to meet you," Felicity said, shaking her hand. Raisa had the same warmth and love in her eyes that Mrs. Watson used to have and Felicity understood why Oliver reacted so strongly to the older woman. She liked her almost immediately and hoped the woman would like her too.

"I have been waiting so long for this moment," Raisa commented brightly, "You are the first woman that Oliver has ever brought for us to meet."

"Oh," Felicity said, blushing and glancing at Oliver quickly. His eyes were looking at her with a surprising amount of warmth and admiration.

"That's because she was the only one worth it," Oliver said, setting his hand on her lower back, his voice filled with warmth. She ducked her head for a second, a ghost of a grin on her lips.

Raisa held her hands in front of her and looked at them as if they'd given her the greatest gift. If this is what it took to play the part then Felicity had less to worry about than she expected.

"That's good to know," Anatoly called out as he appeared in the foyer and walked towards them. The leader of the Solntsevskaya _Bratva was exactly how Felicity pictured him: cold, controlled, with empty eyes and a fake smile to match his greying hair and thin frame. "Ollie, my boy," Anatoly said, shaking Oliver's hand._

_"Uncle," Oliver said, the respect clear in his voice._

_"So, this is the woman that stole my nephews heart," Anatoly said, moving to stand much closer to Felicity than she would had liked. He held out his hand. When she reached out to shake it he brought her hand to his lips. He pressed a kiss on her knuckles and she resisted yanking her hand back, "Enchanted, Ms. Smoak."_

_"It's very nice to meet you, Mr._ Knyazev," Felicity said with a small but happy smile, playing her part as Oliver's innocent and sweet girlfriend.

"Please, call me Anatoly. After all, you are part of the family now," Anatoly said, his eyes flicking over her and something in his tone set Oliver off, as he held even tighter onto her, "I hope you two had a pleasant journey."

"Yes, thank you," Oliver said shortly. He felt like it was a blast from the past being here. The darkness that was part of this home edging towards him and Felicity. He didn't want Felicity here.

"You must be exhausted. It's such a long flight," Raisa said, as she quickly moved to Felicity's side, taking one of her arms in hers, "I am sure you two would like to rest."

"It would be nice to fresh up," Felicity agreed, while Oliver nodded in agreement.

Raisa beamed, "Then come, I will show your room."

Anatoly beckoned them forward, "A 'special' room for you two."

"We won't stay in my old bedroom?" Oliver asked her.

"No, darling. There were some plumbing problems and we had to renovate the room. It's not finished yet, sadly," Raisa explained, "But I think you will like the room that I set for you and your Felicity."

Anatoly led them through the foyer, and towards a large and elegant staircase made of stone that led to the second floor. Oliver placed a reassuring hand on Felicity's lower back; an anchor for him as much as it was for her. Raisa still had Felicity's arm and kept chatting excitedly about the nice weather they were having even though winter was coming. And although Felicity listened and nodded along, she couldn't focus enough to give her more than a simple 'yes' or 'no'. Even though Anatoly had his back to them, the tension between Oliver and Anatoly was palpable. Oliver's eyes traced Anatoly's figure – it kept her focus on Oliver and the hand on her lower back.

Felicity knew the kind of man Anatoly Knyazev was. Oliver had stressed what kind of man he was during the plane ride; Roy and Sara sitting to the side quietly. He was ruthless, cold and extremely intelligent. He had evaded Interpol for the past twenty years, using all his resources to hide behind the facet of being a legit business and family man. But what kind of monster would take a young child, someone he considered as his own son, and turn him into someone so dark and broken? How could he put Oliver on the dark path that he was on today? How could he do that to someone he considered a son?

Anatoly was a liar, a thief and a murderer. He was exactly the kind of person she swore she would help the world get rid of. He was everything she despised and in part what led her here; pretending to be his nephew's girlfriend, pretending to be someone she wasn't. Between all the crimes that Anatoly committed, between all the evil he caused, she couldn't stop thinking about the young boy that he had ruined. To Felicity, that was an unforgivable act.

"Here we are," Raisa said cheerfully, as she opened the large double doors that lead to an opulent looking bedroom.

Felicity instantly dubbed it as the 'The Golden Bedroom'. From the carpet to the warm colored walls, to the light wooden canopy bed, to the drapes; it all had small touches of gold. It was cheesy and it screamed opulence, and she detested it. It was much more than a fashion statement, it represented everything she was not, and everything she despised.

Oliver had never been to this room, this side of the mansion. It was dedicated to people that were visiting the home. In particular, people that were esteemed guests…people that needed to be watched. As much as he was happy to see Raisa, he wanted her to leave, so he could check the room. Make it safe for them.

The fireplace was on, and while it wasn't that cold yet, the heat made Felicity feel better. But, it took only one look at Oliver's tense pose for her to know that something was really wrong.

"I hope you two will enjoy the room. There are clean towels in the bathroom," Raisa said with a large smile as she pointed over to the left, where a door was ajar. Anatoly stood unmoving, observing their every move. Raisa came over to Anatoly's side, "We will let you two get settled. We can all get to know each other better later."

"That's true. We can talk more during dinner," Anatoly said with finality, his eyes tracing over the small distance between them.

Oliver tucked her closer to his side, a hand curling over her shoulder. Felicity tipped her head closer to him, "Of course, uncle."

"We can discuss business later," Anatoly said to Oliver, softly touching Raisa elbow. "Let's leave the kids to it, Rai," he said with fondness, his voice hinting at what a young couple like them could be doing in a room like this. Felicity felt her cheeks burn and Oliver's grip on her shoulder tightened slightly.

"Of course. Dinner will be served at 8 o'clock," Raisa said to both of them as they walked to the door.

"We will be there," Oliver assured with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. With a final goodbye Anatoly and Raisa left them.

As Oliver closed the door, he finally let go a large breath – that he'd probably been holding ever since they had stepped inside the mansion.

He didn't see that Felicity had done the same thing.

* * *

Oliver locked the door and pulled out the gun he held inside his jacket. He gripped it to his side, ready and steady. Felicity's eyes followed him as he moved from one corner to the other, scanning every surface, every corner, every window. He had a cold look on his face, and the silence was overwhelming, making Felicity shiver despite the warm heat coming from the fireplace. It was as bad as the first time she saw him that night she invaded the Queen mansion. He was in The Crow mode and she hated it. She hated the icy and disconnected look in his eyes. That wasn't the Oliver she'd gotten to know recently.

This version of him scared her.

Felicity sat down on the large bed, staring at him as he did a thorough search, waiting for him to finish, as she tried to understand what the hell was going on. He looked like a caged animal.

"Fuck," she heard him curse under his breath, his fingers coming up to touch the top of the fireplace.

"What?" she asked him, anxious, not understanding the fuss.

Oliver didn't answer right away. His shoulders were tense. He stood unmoving for a few seconds, staring at the fireplace. He turned to look at her.

Keeping a straight face that gave nothing away, he moved towards her; a determined look in his eyes. He stopped right in front of her, his hands coming up to cup her face. Her breath caught in her throat as he ducked down slightly while his thumbs moved over her cheeks.

She dared not move, "Oliver?"

He moved slowly, his lips coming down to almost brush against her earlobe. She swallowed down a lump of worry and desire.

"We're being watched," he revealed, trailing one hand down to the pearl necklace he asked her to wear during the trip.

"What?" she asked in a shaky voice, half confused and half on the edge. It was overwhelming to feel Oliver this close to her. The smell of his cologne, mixed with the gentle way he touched her, were sending her senses into overdrive.

She knew something like this would happen sooner or later. She just hadn't realized it would be sooner.

"There is a camera in the stones above the fireplace. Anatoly is most likely watching us. He doesn't believe our story nor trusts us," Oliver murmured, hands trailing down to settle on her shoulders. He nudged her towards him and she stood. He didn't move away so she ended up pressed up against him.

"Oh God," she said, terrified of what that meant. Anatoly was onto them. She thought they'd been doing fine with their warm smiles and close proximity. Apparently it wasn't close enough. If they didn't prove him wrong, he would figure out their plan, and he would kill them both. They would be damned.

"We'll be ok," he promised, his hands now moving down to her waist. "I guess we will need to keep 'this' going in here too. I'm sorry," he whispered, feeling her trembling body. "I promise you we will be ok. I won't let anything happen to you."

"Oliver," she said, her voice raspy, as her arms came up to grip his coat clad back. She was frightened, but at the same time, she knew that Oliver would do everything in his power to keep her safe. He had kept his promise so far. She trusted him more than anyone else.

"I don't think the camera has sound, and if it does, my watch is screwing with their frequency – thanks to you," he said, his voice filled with a hint of pride, his lips moving down to her neck. He felt her breathing pick up as his hands parted her coat and settled on her hips once more; his fingers dancing over the cream knit dress.

"So they can't hear us? Won't they suspect something?" she said as she tilted her head to the side, allowing him to run the tip of his nose up the curve of her neck. She closed her eyes at the delicate touch.

"Maybe, but Anatoly wouldn't dare try to get in the room while we're staying here. He knows that I would suspect something if I caught him. So far, its just suspicions. That's what the camera is for. That's what this room is for."

"So we need to prove him wrong then," Felicity stated as she moved her hands up to rest on his shoulders, fingers lacing through the hair at the nape of his neck.

Oliver tried to not think about how much he enjoyed the feel of her hands moving against his body, her nails scratching this scalp. But it was impossible to deny it. She made him feel things he knew he shouldn't. She made him lose all focus.

Felicity softly moved his face away from her neck, as their eyes meet halfway. She'd made a decision and he knew it.

"Felicity," he whispered, pleading in his voice. He knew what she was about to do. It was what he had been thinking about nonstop ever since he saw her smile at him for the first time. What he desperately wanted to do that night while they sat down watching the X-files together. What he knew he shouldn't allow to happen, cause he knew that if it did, he would be forever lost. There would be no turning back.

Neither wanted it to happen like this but he knew that it had too.

"Don't think," she softly said as her fingertips slid forward to caress the stubble on his cheeks. He gasped, relishing the gentle touch. She caught his eyes, "You trust me?"

Oliver answered truthfully, "Yes."

The word warmed something deep inside of her.

And that's all it took. She pulled him down while she stood up on her tippy toes. Her lips gently brushing against his.

It was like seeing the sun for the first time.

He could feel small threads of warmth all over his body; small sparks running from the tip of his lips down to his toes. Everything stopped and he couldn't breathe.

It was everything.

Oliver stood frozen, his hands holding tightly onto her waist as she pressed her lips against his own. No one had kissed him like this before; warm and trusting. He felt his heartbeat begin to race and he could feel his hands trembling against her back. It was overwhelming.

She seemed to find his reaction an act of rejection when he didn't move. Maybe he didn't feel the spark she did when she pressed her lips to his. Maybe this was a mistake. She was a second from pulling away when he finally responded. He moved his hands to her face, gently holding her pale cheeks as he finally allowed himself to enjoy this moment.

They lost themselves in each other almost instantly.

The kiss was soft with an edge to it that spoke of the intimacy they had gained with each other. Their lips brushed against each other languidly; slowly turning harder, more desperate. Felicity couldn't help but think that it'd been too long since someone kissed her like this. A kiss that curled her toes when he closed his teeth gently on her lower lip. A kiss that made her whimper and press her body impossibly close to him.

Oliver took it all in stride.

He could feel her elevated breathing, the way she held him tight against her. He could feel how their bodies molded perfectly against each other, and how natural it felt having her in his arms. He wanted to be here. Suddenly he realized that the reason why no other woman felt like this was because they weren't her. They weren't Felicity.

And he wanted her. He wanted her like he'd never wanted anything in his life. She was more. So much more.

He didn't know if she meant it, but she could feel something different in her kiss. A promise of a life with her, a life filled with joy, warmth and safety. She made him feel alive; parts of him becoming whole with her there. Things coming to light that he'd thought he'd lost.

Before he could lose himself anymore in his thoughts or her touch, she softly pushed him away, her lips leaving his with a small gasp.

They stood staring to each other for a few seconds, and Oliver knew she could see the tumble of emotions ragging inside of him. He knew she could see how much that small moment meant to him, even though they both knew it shouldn't. This was dangerous.

The same look was reflected in her eyes.

"Felicity," Oliver began delicately, his knuckles coming up to cross one of her cheeks. Her eyes closed in response, the touch combined with the kiss overwhelming her.

She felt it too. He knew she had.

"I…I better take a shower. We need to get ready for dinner," she said calmly, removing her hold on him and starting to edge around him. His hand caught hers.

"Felicity," Oliver begged, the blast of emotion stripping him of his protective walls. He was bare and vulnerable. Open to her. And he wanted to talk about it. He felt like they needed too.

She brought his hand up to her mouth and pressed a kiss across his knuckles, laying another promise there. "We can talk about it later. Just let it go for now, please," she said in a quivering voice.

He saw the conflict in her eyes, her need to escape and figure this out. There was no trace of regret. He released her.

She gave him a small smile in thanks, before backing away and disappearing inside the bathroom; leaving Oliver to deal with the overwhelming emotions that were crashing over him, alone.

He stared at the door. On the other side of that door was a woman who he wanted even thought he shouldn't. A woman who had the power to ruin him. And the crazy part is that he had been fighting something that was useless.

She already had the power. One simple kiss was proof of that.

* * *

Oliver and Felicity took turns in the bathroom, and while he moved to finish dressing himself in the bedroom, she stayed in the bathroom doing her hair and makeup. They worked in silence, not mentioning the elephant in the room. As Oliver worked on the knot his tie, Felicity walked out of the bathroom, dressed in a blue dress with yellow flowers that fell down her knees, yellow peep toes and the pearl necklace on. Her hair was loose and curly. She looked stunning.

"You look beautiful," Oliver complimented as she walked past him.

"Thank you," she replied, genuinely happy at the compliment, smoothing out her dress in front of the mirror before turning to him and stepping forward. She signaled to his tie with her eyes and he nodded silently. Her hands came up to help him finish tying it.

They stood in silence one more time as she worked on the knot. When she was done their eyes fixed on each other, a silent conversation happening between them. Felicity smoothed out his tie and the corner of her mouth lifted. Oliver felt his shoulders relax at the easy gesture. He knew they would be ok at that moment. Even though he hated not working this out right away, he knew he needed to be patient.

He lifted a hand and tugged affectionately on a curl. Her shoulders relaxed at the acceptance to put the conversation on the back burner for now.

"Are you ready?" Oliver asked her, and she knew he was asking about more than if she was done getting dressed up.

"As I'll ever be," she said in a cheerful tone, trying to look brave.

Oliver offered her his hand, "Ok, let's go then."

Her hand latched onto his like a lifeline. They would be each other's anchor tonight.

They walked hand in hand through the halls of the second floor and down the stone staircase. When they reached the landing they found themselves face to face with Slade and a woman that Oliver would rather never see again; besides Helena, that is.

"Ms. Smoak. You're looking lovely," Slade commented with a charming smile.

"Thank you Slade. And please, call me Felicity."

"Only if you continue to call me Slade, Mr. Wilson makes me feel old."

"Of course," she said pleasantly, as Oliver held tight to her hand, almost a little too tight. She looked at him in silent shock and caught the tail end of Slade smirking at Oliver's reaction. Apparently Slade had a penchant for teasing Oliver.

"Hmmm interesting," the tall brunette woman murmured, making all eyes turn to her, and Oliver to look particularly irritated.

The woman was dressed impeccably in an elegant red dress and high heels. She had long pitch-black hair and dark green eyes. She would be utterly breathtaking if it wasn't for the cold and arrogant air around her. She was the complete opposite of the charming Slade Wilson.

Slade sensing the stiffness in the air was quick to introduce the woman in red. "Felicity, this is my fiancé, Isabel Rochev," Slade said, making Oliver pale with the news. He'd had no clue.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Felicity said, offering her hand to Isabel to shake.

The older woman looked at the offered hand for a second, almost as if she didn't believe that Felicity deserved to shake her hand, but with one hard stare from Oliver she gave her hand a quick handshake, exposing her gigantic marquise shaped diamond engagement ring. It was a vintage looking piece, the large diamond surrounded by small rubies and diamonds. It was elegant and clearly more expensive than anything Felicity owned or would ever own.

"Likewise," Isabel said tersely, her eyes observing Felicity as if looking for faults.

"Isabel," Oliver said shortly and Felicity fought the instinct to bristle like a cat at the woman's behavior. Instead she continued looking and acting pleasant.

"Captain," Isabel replied coldly, and you didn't have to be a genius to figure out that Isabel and Oliver nourished a mutual hate for each other.

"I suppose congratulations are in order, then," Oliver said gruffly, clearly not pleased with the news.

"Thank you," Isabel said with a large smile that looked creepy to Felicity's eyes.

"Oliver," Slade began cautiously and the two men had some weird kind of silent conversation. When they were done Oliver looked away with a growl, a sign that he wasn't going to cause or edge on Slade's fiancée. Oliver didn't make any further comment on the matter.

"Darling, we have to go," Isabel said, softly touching Slade's chest. It was strange not seeing any affection in Slade's eyes as he looked at his fiancée, "We will lose our reservations if we don't leave now."

"Yes, the reservations," Slade said in agreement, "Would you two like to join us?"

"No, we are having dinner with my uncle and Raisa," Oliver answered, letting go of Felicity's hand and moving it to the small of Felicity's back.

"Oh, you should go then. We both know your uncle hate delays," Slade said, before leading Isabel away without another word to Oliver or Felicity. They watched as the couple put on their coats.

"I'm well aware. I hope you two will have a pleasant evening," Oliver said with finality, as both parties parted ways, and Oliver led Felicity through another hallway and towards the dining room.

"That was a walk in the park," Felicity said sarcastically, trying to lift the tension in the air. It didn't work. Oliver remained cool and collected, "Who the hell is that femme fatale and why were you throwing eye daggers at each other?"

"That woman is the devil incarnate. She is dangerous. Stay away from her," Oliver warned her, memories rushing to him at how unpleasant she was.

"It's not like we're going to become knitting BFFs or something, Oliver," she blurted out, making Oliver smirk and forget his anger. Felicity felt warmth blossom in her chest at making him be something other than cool and collected.

"Good."

"You didn't answer my question though," Felicity noted.

"Let's just say that we had some disagreements a few years ago. And ever since then she hasn't been my biggest fan."

Felicity doubted that the explanation was that easy. "What did you do? Sleep with her and never call her back," Felicity said, joking, until she realized that the joke was on her, "Oh my God, you did sleep with her and never called back."

"It didn't mean anything," he said with a shrug, glancing at her and catching her face twisting a bit. She was jealous.

"Now with an attitude like that no wonder she was pissed," Felicity teased, voice laced with sarcasm as she tried to get herself back on track. She shouldn't be jealous of Isabel. He had slept with her and dropped her. If their kiss was any indication, that wouldn't be Felicity.

Oliver ran his hand up her back, "I never particularly enjoyed her company. She was the one responsible for the Bratva business at QC while I was still in Russia. When I got back, she wasn't too excited at the change in management. I couldn't have her putting my authority in question."

Felicity looked at him in disbelief, "So you decided to sleep with her? Just like that?"

"I pretended to be under her spell so that she would make the process easier. I learned all that there was to learn, while pretending I did not want to remove her from her position. Sex was part of the play. So yes, I did sleep with her to get what I wanted. When that was all set I demanded her to be sent back to Russia. After all, I didn't need a babysitter watching all my steps to see if I did my job right."

"That's cold," she said, clearly disturbed by what he was telling her. She was abruptly reminded of the man she had met that day in the library. It wasn't the same man that had kissed her earlier; the one that held her so tenderly against him.

"I never said I wasn't," Oliver said, turning down another hallway and finally spotting the dining room door, "Let's get this show on the road, shall we."

* * *

It didn't take long before they were seated for the questions to start.

"So Ms. Smoak, tell me a little bit about yourself," Anatoly asked, grinning at her like the cat who caught the canary.

"Felicity. You can just call me Felicity," she corrected as a bowl of hot borsch was placed in front of her by a small dark haired maid.

Anatoly nodded, waiting a sec until they all had a bowl and some rye bread, "Ok, Felicity. About yourself? Family? Friends? Career?"

"Well the only family I have left is my mom, but we don't talk much. As for friends," Felicity's voice trailed off a bit, thinking about her lost friends. Oliver took that moment to move his hand over the one on her lap. She turned it slowly, lacing her fingers with his and using it as an anchor, "I don't have many friends either. Work keeps me pretty busy. Don't have much time to socialize. And any free time I have I spend it with Oliver."

Anatoly looked at Oliver as he cataloged all of this information, before settling once more on Felicity, "Oh is that so? Is that why you moved into the mansion?"

Felicity nodded but didn't reply, at a loss of words at the eager and cold expression on Anatoly's face. She didn't know a combination like that existed. Oliver saw her struggle and saved her.

"That's exactly why. I wanted to spend more time with her. Best decision I've made in ages," Oliver answered contentedly.

"And we're glad you did," Raisa agreed. She turned her eyes to Anatoly, voice a bit challenging, "Don't we?"

"Yes. We're glad that you've found each other," Anatoly agreed, his mouth curling down as if he hadn't been cornered by his sister's words.

The questions stopped for a couple minutes as they began to eat.

Felicity moaned at the first spoonful, looking at Oliver, "This is delicious. Who made this?"

"That would be me," Raisa answered proudly, "Made it just the way Oliver liked it since he was a kid."

Oliver smiled, remembering his first years here, before he began pulling away and falling into the Bratva world, "It was always the best thing on cold days like today."

Felicity ate another spoonful, "He's right. It's wonderful."

"We'll make sure that Raisa writes down the recipe before you leave then," Anatoly said with a tight smile, eyes seemingly looking right through them. He wasn't saying as much as Oliver expected but he was saying enough.

Oliver returned the tight smile. They weren't selling it enough.

He turned to Felicity and caught her attention by tugging her hand lightly. She turned her head to look at him and he hoped his eyes conveyed what his mouth couldn't, "Would you do that for me?"

She caught on and beamed at him, small crinkles appearing at the corners of her eyes, "Of course. I'd do anything for you. Especially if it meant having a part of family back at the mansion."

His grin turned into a real smile at the word 'family'. He wasn't sure if her use of the word was for Anatoly's benefit or…his. He let a small part of him wish it was for him.

"Thank you."

Felicity turned her body slightly towards him and placed her other hand on top of his. The way he gripped her fingers made her feel safe and comforted. He relaxed, "You're welcome."

Raisa cooed on the other side of the table and the moment was broken.

They turned back into place but Felicity didn't let go of his hand, holding it in her lap. Raisa was looking at them as a proud mother would and Oliver's chest tightened at the reminder of who was missing. Anatoly on the other hand was looking at them with the smallest look of surprise on her face.

They were back on track.

When the borsch was finished, bread was passed around to cleanse their palates before dessert was brought out.

Anatoly seemed to want to try to figure out Felicity and Oliver's relationship again, "So Felicity. Oliver has told me you are special. Special enough to wear those pearls, which if I'm not mistaken, belonged to Moira. Also special enough to live in a Bratva home with a Captain. How do you feel about being with a Bratva Captain?" He threw Oliver a pointed look after as if to warn him off, to let Felicity answer.

They both readied themselves and tried not to shift in place. They were a united front.

"Well…," Felicity began hesitantly, glancing at Oliver's stone walled face to look back at Anatoly. She couldn't take her eyes of him. If this would work she had to act smitten with Oliver, "I'm not the one who's special. Oliver is."

Oliver eyes moved over to watch Felicity's side profile. This wasn't what he expected her to say at all. He noted the gentle slope of her nose as she spoke calmly but more confidently than he'd seen all day.

"I love and accept every part of Oliver. All of it has made him into the man he is today and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Even the part of him that is The Crow?" Anatoly asked, steeping his fingers together and placing his elbows on the table as if he'd found the most interesting thing, "You know I gave him that nickname because he kept escaping death."

Felicity didn't back down. She kept steady and Oliver etched this moment out in his mind, "What I feel for Oliver, accepts all parts of Oliver. Even the part of The Crow. I understand what he does for Bratva because as he's explained to me, this is his family. So if Bratva is his life, then it's my life."

Anatoly loosened his fingers, face showing that he'd come to a conclusion that he wasn't going to share with the room. He just tipped his head at Felicity, "Good enough for me."

Oliver held her hand tightly, both coiled to spring, as the maids began bringing in the dessert. She'd done well.

Felicity looked down at the dessert and laughed.

"What?" Oliver said curiously. The laugh feeling like fresh air.

"Chocolate pudding," she stated, eyes pleading with him to remember.

"Ohhh," Oliver said, snorting lightly as it came to him, "the 20lbs of it."

Raisa looked between them in confusion, "20lbs?"

"A while ago we were playing Felicity's unique brand of 20 questions," Oliver explained, eyes glancing over to Felicity's amused face, "She asked me if I could have 20lbs of something what would it be?"

"And you said chocolate pudding. Makes sense. I don't know how you got it out of him but he always tried to hide how much he loved it when he was younger," Raisa said, bringing some of the pudding to her mouth, giving Felicity a nod of approval.

Oliver groaned and tried to fight the growing embarrassment. Her eyes narrowed in on him, "Why wouldn't you want anyone to know you liked chocolate pudding?"

Raisa laughed openly, face excited at the bonding she was witnessing to the match the heat raising on Oliver's cheeks. He felt like a kid bringing his girlfriend home for the first time and being tackled from all sides.

Strangest thing was that besides Anatoly's looming presence…he kind of enjoyed it.

* * *

Anatoly was a very practical man. He conducted his family as he did his business; with an iron fist and absolute control, something that drove a wedge between him and Oliver as the years passed by.

The young Captain was strong minded and stubborn, but extremely efficient in everything he put his mind to. It was the reason why he was one of Bratva's youngest Captains. And it was the same reason why Anatoly trusted him with his most important operations. He would be the future leader of the brotherhood.

Anatoly and Oliver had clashed over many subjects in the past, especially on how to conduct Bratva business in Starling City. He had wanted to retain some form of control over The Crow, something that had become harder to maintain lately. Oliver had been restless about avenging the murder of his family, and his lack of understanding why Bratva couldn't risk a war with the Triad was something that caused endless conflicts between them.

It deeply concerned Anatoly. The brotherhood worked on a code of loyalty and faith in the family. If Oliver lost sight of what truly mattered, the plans that Anatoly had been working on for the past twenty years would all start to crumble.

There was no use denying the deep connection that his nephew shared with the mysterious blonde he had brought with him. Oliver had never brought a woman to visit him, had never let a woman stay in his mansion in Starling City, and had never let a woman become involved in his Bratva life. He knew that Oliver was a touch more than just infatuated with the woman and he feared if it came to a point where he had to choose between the brotherhood and her…he wasn't sure that The Crow would chose his family. And that was a problem.

So Anatoly had two choices, intervene and risk the wrath of Oliver, or he could let things run their natural course. He knew how quick some passions burned and that Oliver always fell for the charms of beautiful women no matter how hard or cold of a front he erected. Maybe the flame would burn itself out. He chose to wait.

After all, young love was something he understood well. He never remarried after his wife and son died during childbirth when he was young, choosing to remain alone, picking the brotherhood as his family and later on, Oliver as his rightful son and heir. He knew the dangers of this relationship, but he also knew the risks of forbidding it. It would only push Oliver closer to her and further from him.

"_She is quite lovely, your Felicity_," Anatoly said as he poured a shot of vodka into crystal glasses for him and Oliver.

"_Thank you, uncle. That she is_," Oliver agreed with a hint of a smile, accepting the glass. He wasn't sure how much his Anatoly would ask him about Felicity, but he was ready.

"_And she is the one responsible for this impressive growth in our transactions, you said?_" Anatoly asked, sitting down in his leather armchair and resting an ankle on his knee.

Oliver sat opposite of him, "_Yes, she was the one to develop the software that allowed us to make larger transactions while still remaining incognito_. _The advances she's made in our systems have made her irreplaceable_."

Anatoly hummed, latching onto the word 'irreplaceable'. "_That's interesting. Where did you find her?_" Anatoly asked, wondering how a woman like this came into Oliver's life.

"_She was an independent consultant for another company when I met her. She was highly recommended, smart, and…_" Oliver hesitated for a moment. Looking for a word to finish explaining how Felicity 'supposedly' got under his skin. He went with the truth, "_she made me smile. I decided to take a risk after that_."

"_One that's paid off it seems_," Anatoly observed, "_And the work that she did for us. How did that happen?_"

"_It has paid off. At first she wasn't happy when she realized what the program was about, what it was for. But I got her to see how her work could benefit us, how she could help_," Oliver said in a way that showed Anatoly how persuasive he could be and how willing Felicity was to help him with his business.

"_I'm sure you did, Ollie_," Anatoly said with a laugh.

"_Becoming my girlfriend ended up being a bonus, I suppose_," Oliver said, taking a large drink from his glass. It was like a back and forth with Anatoly, and Oliver was poised to win.

"_You know, Oliver, I wouldn't normally agree with something like this_," Anatoly said in a flat but penetrating tone, looking down at his glass.

"_Uncle_," Oliver said, his tone cautious.

"_Let me finish_," Anatoly said, as Oliver sat quietly waiting for Anatoly's analysis of all of this, "_She is a stranger that knows too much. Not to mention that she has taken residence in the home of a member of the Brotherhood. That is dangerous_."

"_She is not a stranger_," Oliver countered, "_She is not dangerous. She knows her place, both in the brotherhood and in my life_."

"_Does she_?"

Oliver's hand tightened on his glass. He was surprised it didn't break, "_Yes_."

"_You know, as a Bratva Captain and as the future Pakhan I always expected you to marry a Bratva daughter."_

"_I know_," Oliver said in the same hard tone Anatoly was sporting.

"Normally I wouldn't agree on a relationship such as this one. The Pakhan needs a woman that knows the rules, that will understand that the brotherhood comes above all things and that knows her place in our world," Anatoly said as he tapped his forefinger against the rim of his glass, "_She needs to be someone you can trust. And your Felicity seems to have garnered yours while still keeping the fire inside of her._"

"_That she does. She is a warrior_," Oliver said, ready to defend his choice. If there was a woman that he could see beside him, it was Felicity. No one else.

Anatoly seemed to accept his answers. He relaxed back into his chair and his voice became lighter but still cautious, "_Good. I wouldn't expect anything but a warrior for the woman that my nephew loves_."

Oliver felt his heart practically skip a beat at the declaration. He swallowed, "_I…_"

"_There is no use denying it, my boy. I see the way you look at her_," Anatoly said with a twinkle in his eyes, as Oliver seemed to pale. 'Love' had always seemed like an impossible commitment for Oliver and now Anatoly claimed that this was the reason he acted the way he did around Felicity. Love. Anatoly continued, "_And I can see the appeal, she is quiet outstanding. In a way that not many women are_."

Oliver was at a lose for words and could only say, "_She is very special to me_."

"_Oh, Ollie. It's not a crime to admit you love her. After all, why would you give her your mother's pearls if you didn't_?"

"_I wouldn't bring her into our world if she wasn't anything but special to me_," Oliver muttered, knowing how vulnerable admitting this would make him but seeing no other way around the word 'love' that Anatoly was pushing, "_I can't imagine living in a world without her it._"

"_Then you know what you have to fight for now_," Anatoly said as he looked at Oliver carefully, "_Fight not only for the family, but for the brotherhood and for the woman that you love_."

Oliver poured himself another drink before locking eyes with Anatoly and offering the bottle, "_I will uncle, with my life._"

Anatoly took the bottle, "_Maybe soon Moira's pearls won't be the only jewelry you retrieve from the Queen vault_."

* * *

Autumn in Russia was beautiful. The brown, red and orange leaves, mixed with the last green ones that fought to hold to their last breath, created a stunning picture. Here in the manors winter garden, Oliver couldn't stop thinking about how striking it all was while Felicity and Raisa talked about Oliver's childhood.

This was one of those moments that Oliver didn't hate this place so much.

He watched them from a distance. Her in particular as he hid behind a large column, concealed.

Felicity looked happy, her coat buttoned up right below her chin and her hands tucked into her pockets, as she talked to Raisa. She looked strangely relaxed, almost like she was enjoying their weeks stay in Moscow. Her presence felt somewhat comforting here, even though Oliver feared for her safety all the time.

He enjoyed having her by his side. She made him feel at peace. Happy like he hadn't been in a really long time. He wondered how this would change or grow during their stay here.

"Hi, Kid," Oliver heard from behind him, the voice familiar and raspy.

"Hi," Oliver said, keeping his eyes on Felicity and using the distance to make sure she was safe, while still giving her space and privacy to get to know Raisa. He liked them talking…sharing.

"She is exquisite, your Felicity."

"That's the rumor," Oliver replied, wondering how many people would say that to him.

Slade came to stand next to him, also peeking out at the two women who had begun walking through the leaves, "She is very different from the type of women you normally surround yourself with."

Oliver gave a small shrug as if it would explain all, "Maybe I was tired of being with the wrong women."

"She is one of a kind. Not the same type of 'wrong woman' for sure," Slade commented.

At this, Oliver glanced at Slade quickly, "Slade, why would you do it?"

"Do what?"

"You know exactly what," Oliver accused as he watched Felicity's head fall back in a laugh, her pale next on display, "You despise Isabel Rochev. We both do. So I can't exactly picture why you would chose her from all the women in Bratva to be your wife."

Slade sighed, "Kid, life's not a fairy tale. You of all people should know that. She is a good Bratva daughter. She will make a good partner."

"A good Bratva daughter?" Oliver said incredulously, "Did Anatoly arrange this marriage?"

"Yes, the Pakhan arranged it."

"I can't believe this," Oliver said under his breath, anger consuming him.

Slade placed a hand on Oliver's tense shoulder, "Isabel is a loyal member of the brotherhood. She is a gorgeous woman that warms my bed at night and will give me children one day. It's a good partnership. She knows her part and I know mine. You know how this works, Kid."

"I can't believe you agreed to this so easily."

"It wasn't easy Oliver. She is as good as any other woman that the Pakhan would chose for me."

"What I know is that my friend Slade Wilson wouldn't marry a woman he didn't love."

A feel seconds of silence followed, both being thrown into the past, "The only woman I ever loved and ever will love is dead. There will be no one else for me. My heart and soul died along with Shado, Kid. It's a moot point who will be my wife, because I will never love her."

"Slade," Oliver said, hating himself for bringing up Shado. "I'm sorry," Oliver whispered, knowing how hard losing Shado was on Slade. He lost the love of his life when he was young, watching her die in front of him, unable to save her. He'd never gotten over her death.

"I know you are," Slade said coldly, squeezing Oliver's shoulder before letting his hand rest by his side, "But that doesn't change the facts. She's gone and I will have to spend the rest of my life living without her."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. It's not my place to judge you," Oliver apologized, his eyes again following Felicity through the garden, as she and Raisa sat down on a rock bench next to the pond.

"She reminds me of Shado," Slade blurted out, surprising Oliver.

"What?"

"Felicity," Slade said with a pointed look at the woman talking with Raisa, "She's just like my Shado. Good, kind and pure. Untouched. To bring her into this life, into this world, is to taint her. To ruin her."

Oliver could hear the warning in his tone, "Slade, Felicity is a good person. An amazingly strong woman. But she is the master of her universe. She makes her own decisions."

"Does a woman in love really see the dangers ahead of her? Or does her heart cloud her judgment?"

"Slade," Oliver said, not looking at him. Things had been different between them for sure but love was…it was a lot, especially when he couldn't even bring up the courage to tell her that he liked her. Whatever it was…he'd been thinking of it. Thinking about how dangerous it was for her to be with him. He would forever be a target while he was part of Bratva. Could he do the same thing to her? Could he be that selfish after only getting a taste of what she could truly be like?

"I know you love her," Slade began but stopped at Oliver's narrowed eyed look. He didn't like being analyzed. Slade backtracked, "If not love her then care for her a great deal. I know this because I know you – I know you better than anyone else. It is clear to see. Just as much as I know how much you are tormenting yourself, going back and forth and probably holding yourself back because you don't want her to get hurt. The mere thought of losing her, tears you apart."

"I can protect her," Oliver interjected through clenched teeth. Hopelessness gripped at him for a second, filling his thoughts with fear. He could see a million ways of her being hurt. All because of him.

"That's what I thought. Until the woman that I love died in my arms."

"I can't…" a pained noise left Oliver's lips as he closed his eyes, trying to block out the wave of emotions he had begun feeling as Slade compared Shado's short life with Felicity's. It was an ache that never let Slade. And if it happened to him…he knew the ache would never leave.

She had the power to destroy him.

"If you really love her, you will let her go. Before it's too late."

Oliver stood silent, watching as Felicity's head lifted and as if by magic, locked eyes with him. She smiled at him, a small curling of her lips that turned into a pure and heartwarming smile. It was like a gust of wind blew away all his fears and dark thoughts.

Oliver smiled back, two of his fingers lifted in a small wave. She returned it with a curl of her own fingers before turning back to Raisa to continue speaking. Raisa said something with a wave of her arms and Felicity burst out laughing, hands coming up to cover her mouth.

What Slade was saying had merit. But what he saw right in front of him and what he felt…it was different. There was a spark between them, something light and good. He couldn't give up feeling like this.

He continued to watch her.

He'd been alone for a long time, dealing with all this dark and cold inside of him. If she was the light then why should he let go of it? Shouldn't he protect it? Bring it closer to him and protect it from any demons that would wish to whisk it away at night?

"I would have rather watched Shado live happily with another man. I would never be happy again, I would miss her every day of my life; but she would be safe and alive. I'd rather have lost her to another than to have to take flowers to her grave every month to just feel close to her," Slade said, interrupting Oliver's thoughts.

"I won't let anyone hurt her," Oliver promised, eyes warming despite the serious nature of their conversation. Raisa had taken one of Felicity's hands and held it in her own. From the look of awe on her face Raisa was probably accepting her to the family. Not Anatoly's family, but her little family with Oliver, "I will protect her with my life."

Slade peeked further out to get a clearer look of the two women Oliver was watching, one that he had known since he was a young boy, and the other a blossoming piece of his hidden heart, "Even if it means your own?"

Oliver could hear the unspoken words. Anatoly would never allow him to care…to love someone as much as he was supposed to love Bratva; no matter how calm and collected he seemed to be about Felicity. He would destroy that smile she held, the way she laughed, the light blush on her cheeks when he tucked her close to his side, the fire inside of her when they argued. He would destroy it all if Oliver didn't protect it.

"Yes," he finally answered, feeling sure of his words, "Even if it means my own."

He was past the point of no return.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter! First kiss, what'd you think? Russia? Thank you for reading and reviewing (if you do, we live off of them.)**

**Love,**

**PoisonAngelMuse &amp; TheAlternativeSource**


	10. What If I Told You

**The Crow Chapter 10 – What If I Told You**

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**A/N: Hi everyone! Thank you all for the amazing support. We love you guys so much and are here to help you during these hard times aka the Arrow hiatus. Also it's our one-year anniversary writing together! YAY! We've got three stories on our belt and are so grateful to have every single one of you as our readers. Thank you!**

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**Music – What If I Told You by Jason Walker**

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_What if I told you_  
_Who I really was _

_What if I let you in on my charade?_

_What if I told you_  
_What was really going on_  
_No more masks and no more parts to play_

_There's so much I want to say_  
_But I'm so scared to give away_  
_Every little secret that I hide behind_  
_Would you see me differently?_  
_And would that be such...a bad thing_  
_I wonder what it would be like_  
_If I told you_

_What if I told you_  
_That's its just a front_  
_To hide the insecurities I have_

_What if I told you_  
_That I'm not as strong_  
_As I like to make believe I am  
_

Felicity slowly awoke, mouth parting in a yawn. She burrowed back into the comforting heat that surrounded her. She felt content here. She pressed her face deeper into the pillow, getting lost in the musky scent – a mixture of cologne and something so unique she couldn't put her finger on it - but which she felt safe in. She sighed happily. It was familiar. It felt like home.

Her foggy mind, clouded with sleep, let her enjoy the moment for a few more minutes, until the rational part of her brain seemed to pick up the small huff of air on her forehead. She was laid out on her pillow, her blankets by her feet. But the warmth…that was coming from the body curled around her. Slowly she opened her eyes and paused, eyes meeting a very naked collar bone. She knew that collar bone.

It was Oliver.

She blinked in confusion. There was a steady drum of a heartbeat underneath her hand, where it was splayed across his chest. She watched it move up and down with each breath that he took, a soft caress of air across her forehead happening each time.

She and Oliver had ended up tangled together again. She was tucked into his side, his arm around her back as her head rested on his shoulder. One of her legs was curled over his hip and her hand was right above his heart. His body was relaxed but his hold on her was firm, almost as if he were scared she would fade away in the middle of the night.

Ever since their first night in Russia they had somehow found each others bodies in the middle of the night. Since there were no pillows to create their ever present wall between them and Anatoly was watching, they had gone to bed that first day closer to each other, with an understanding that it was to protect each other. To assure that they weren't caught. Well it sure as hell didn't feel like that after the first time. Every night it was almost like their bodies sought out each other's company. Like they needed to feel each other. Like they belonged and were most content, together.

Absentmindedly she wondered if they should have gotten rid of that pillow barrier ages ago. If it meant waking up warm and safe every day, then the answer was yes.

She closed her eyes at that thought. Ever since they'd kissed, things had changed. Oliver seemed to invade her every waking thought. Even when she spent time away from him when he went off to discuss business with Anatoly she thought of what he was doing, where he was…if he was ok. And it was throwing her for a loop.

This thing that she had been feeling for him was becoming clearer and clearer now. It was an affection that she held for him. A confusing affection that she was afraid she was getting wrapped up in; that she might get lost in. She had already let go of so much in her life to be where she was now, to survive and avenge those that were taken from her. She literally had to become another person in a sense, and now, here she was, getting lost in the kind of man she always swore she wouldn't. The kind of man that would only lead her to heart.

Oliver shifted in his sleep and mumbled something sleepily, his lips grazing her forehead. She tensed immediately, her head slowly tilting back and her body beginning to slip away from his.

No matter how much she felt the change in Oliver, in their relationship and the affection that she felt for him now, he would always be The Crow. That's what he had been doing all hours of the day, coming to bed after Felicity was safely brought back to her room by Sara. He had been getting himself lost spending hours with Anatoly and Slade doing god knows what in the world of the Bratva. Probably doing things that were unthinkable to her. That was who The Crow was. That's who Oliver was.

She sat up, slowly loosening his hold on her waist.

Yet, as she watched Oliver softly sleeping, she couldn't find the will to let him go, to stop this growing ache of affection in her chest for the surly and yet wonderful man that lay before her. That's what he looked like to her, when she caught him sleeping soundly like this.

He looked young and peaceful, his chest moving up and down in a soft rhythm, like he didn't carry all that pain inside of him. Like everything was ok and they would spend the day together without a care in the world besides teasing each other and trying to figure out what to watch in there queue. He looked vulnerable. Like he couldn't possibly hurt anyone and that no one had hurt him. And the only proof that this was all a fleeting wish was his body, the proof that the life he'd lead for the past twenty years was one of pain and hardship.

She eyed his face for a second before hesitantly running her fingers over the lonely dark crow on his left pectoral, a dark reminder of who he was. The tattoo was on top of his heart, where her hand previously rested. The tattoo hid a small bullet wound. From the little research she had accumulated about his childhood before she arrived at the mansion, she knew that the scar was from the attack that had robbed the life of his family from him and had left a ten year old in the hands of a twisted man. She wondered if he chose to place the crow over his heart because of the gun shot scar, or as a reminder of the last time he had let something come close to his heart. On the other side of his chest, the Bratva star marked him as a Captain of the brotherhood – a brand on his soul. On his back she knew there were other tattoos, some for the Bratva, some a mystery. But all parts of him.

The rest of his body was filled with endless scars. She didn't dare move her hand over them, thinking about how many times Oliver almost faced certain death at the hands of his enemies. The thought was painful and for a second she almost wanted to cry, the burning in the back of her eyes becoming present. Oliver Queen had suffered more than any man she ever knew. Yet, he stood strong, still continuing his dance with death, as he revealed parts of himself that were wonderful and not as jaded as the rest of him.

Her thoughts continued to run wild.

He looked at her sometimes with unguarded eyes, the corners of his eyes crinkling, proof of what lay beneath the facade of the Crow. He looked at her as if this was his first smile in ages. His first laugh. All of it as if he hadn't experienced joy in a good long while. She relished those moments.

Guarded them as the days passed by in this cold and haunted house.

She wondered if she was living a dream here with Oliver, waking in bed with him, wondering about who lay underneath while getting closer to him with every step, her affection for him growing. Everything was a mess all around them, no use in denying that. But here with him…it felt different. It felt like the turbulent waters of her life had began calming down even though she was still afraid, smoothing over to allow safe travel. If felt like she was being given a chance to see something beautiful and rare.

And if this was a dream, then she wasn't sure she wanted to wake up.

* * *

Hesitantly she pulled herself away from Oliver and dressed for the day. She glanced at him one last time before slowly opening the door and making her way down to the kitchen with Sara as her guard. If the last days were any proof, he would be up in a matter of minutes courtesy of Roy, who had also been outside their door, waiting for them to awaken.

When they arrived at the kitchen she wasn't surprised to see Raisa. The warm and welcoming woman had been a constant companion to Felicity these last couple of days. She had breakfast with Oliver and Felicity everyday. She also had been her companion around the house and grounds while Oliver was busy with Anatoly and Slade.

Sara sat in a stool while Felicity came around the island in the large and sleek looking kitchen. "Good morning Raisa," Felicity greeted.

Raisa pulled out some plates and smiled over at Felicity. They had caught her in the middle of cooking breakfast, "Good morning, dear." When she spotted Sara she greeting her as well.

"Good morning," Sara replied, pulling out her phone and beginning to click away, "Those don't look like waffles."

Felicity came to stand close to Raisa and looked at the various things she had laid out. Since arriving Raisa had relished the chance to make American foods such as pancakes and waffles. Today Raisa had given that up and was trying something different.

"Whatever it is, it looks good," Felicity supplied, looking at the porridge looking food next to bread, eggs and some sort of cheese.

Raisa preened a little at the compliment, "Thank you. It's Oliver's favorite. Used to eat this all the time for breakfast. Thought I'd get up a little earlier than usual to make it."

"Oliver liked to eat this when he was young?" Felicity asked. She liked the moments when Raisa would give her small glimpses of Oliver as a child. She felt like it helped her with the mystery that was Oliver Queen.

"Oliver was a sad child when he arrived here. Alone and scared. I took him under my wing and the first big break came when after a week of making him breakfast I made him this. You should of seen the smile on his face. Loved him immediately then," Raisa said, eyes showing that she was stuck in the past, "And he loved me too."

"Like a mother," Felicity supplied.

Raisa looked up in surprise, shaking her head, "No, never could replace Moira."

"No, you never could. That doesn't mean he doesn't think of you as such," Felicity corrected. She knew it wasn't her place, but she couldn't stand the small frown on Raisa's face, the way she tried to play down what she was in Oliver's life. It was clear to the Felicity that Oliver loved her dearly, "You can have more than one mom."

Raisa gave her a watery smile as she paused in stirring the porridge, "Thank you dear."

Felicity nodded, her eyes watering a bit too. She tried to shake off the feeling and maybe lighten the mood, "So do you have any embarrassing stories about Oliver as a kid here?"

Raisa laughed, "Oh I do. I've plenty of them. Some have Oliver getting caught in the drapes upstairs for about twenty minutes because he didn't want help. Or the time he fell head over heels for this small girl at this bakery nearby. He tried to make her some cupcakes and everything. I've got some pictures too that I must show you after breakfast." Raisa clapped her hands and looked at the spread in front of her, "Done. I hope you like it."

"I bet I will. Is there anything I can do to help?" Felicity asked. She felt closer to Raisa after this conversation than any other they'd held.

Raisa pointed at a stack of plates. "Can you take those and set them up for four.." she paused and pointed at the table with large windows that let streams of light inside, "over there. And you Sara, could you help me with the utensils?"

Both women agreed and helped Raisa set up the table with a practiced ease that came from setting up the table together for the past couple days. They were just finishing pouring the porridge into the four bowls when the kitchen door opened and Oliver came in looking sleep rumpled in slacks and a button up.

There was something about seeing Raisa with Felicity that always seemed to brighten him and wash away all the darkness that came back with him after dealing with Bratva business all day.

"Good morning," he greeted, walking over to Raisa and pressing a morning kiss on her cheek.

Felicity followed him as he walked over to her. She tilted her head back and grinned, "Good morning."

He leaned down and pecked her lips. She had become used to these kisses in greeting. It felt domestic as hell and neither could be bothered to bring it up. They just went with it.

He wrapped an arm around her, eyes happy as he turned to Raisa and Sara, "What's for breakfast?"

"We've got kasha, butterbrots, eggs and some tvorog," Raisa answered as she sat down.

Oliver's face collapsed into such an endearing smile that Felicity took pause, a smile blooming on her face as well. She'd never seen him look like that before.

"Thank you, Raisa. I…" Oliver said, voice a bit hoarse. He hadn't returned to Russia in a long while and this breakfast had been his favorite memory while in Russia. In fact it was one of the only ones before he went off to school.

Raisa waved him away, "Nonsense. No need to thank me. Now sit down and eat. We've got something's to discuss."

Oliver pulled out Felicity's chair before sitting down. Sara followed.

Felicity looked down at her plate and didn't know where to start. Everything looked so good.

"Juice?" Oliver offered. When Felicity nodded he poured her some before offering Raisa and Sara. Her eyes trailed him, wondering if this sweet and offering nature was for the ruse or because he cared for her. She tucked the thought away with Oliver's bright attitude for later thought as they began to eat.

"What did you want to discuss?" Oliver asked, digging into his porridge happily.

"I got us tickets to the ballet tomorrow," Raisa said after a spoonful, "I was hoping that Felicity could join me today and find a dress."

Felicity's eyes widened. She'd never been to a ballet. It always seemed so fancy and delicate when she'd seen it on TV. She didn't know if she'd fit in.

"I'd love to come but can Sara come too?" Felicity blurted out, wincing at her words, "She's always helped me pick the best things since I've got no hope in picking dresses. Would that be ok?" Most of the time Sara had been a background figure along with Roy when she spent time around the house with Raisa. The only time she didn't see them was when she was with Oliver, since he was protection enough when they were exploring the house.

Raisa nodded and looked over at Sara. The woman in question looked surprised at being included, "Would you like to come Sara? I don't want to make you feel awkward helping but would you?"

Sara looked over at Felicity in question. Felicity gave her a pleading look and Sara gave in. She didn't like going to events like this so it was no bother but she didn't mind helping Felicity, "I'd like to come. Thank you."

"And you Oliver? Do you have a tuxedo?" Raisa asked.

Oliver tore some bread and ate it, "Yes. I do."

Raisa gave another nod, ending the matter before smirking slightly at Oliver, "So, Felicity asked for some stories from your youth. Should we start with the curtain incident or the girl at the pastry shop?"

Oliver groaned, like he was immensely put out before looking over at Felicity. She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips at the pointed glare he gave her. Even with the stubble and fine pressed shirt he looked like a petulant child.

Felicity bit her lip to stop the smile that was fighting to come forth. His eyes flickered down to her mouth when she released the lip and ran her tongue over it. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks and her mouth part. His shoulders slumped moments later before he took her hand from the table and laced his fingers with hers.

"Fine," he grumbled, he made a shooing motion with his other hand, "Tell away."

As Raisa began reciting the tale, they all missed the surprised and charmed look on Felicity's face. This morning was full of surprises.

* * *

Oliver and Slade had been enjoying their time together in the week that Oliver and Felicity had been in Moscow. While most of their time involved Bratva business, it was refreshing to be able to spend some time with his best friend, even though Oliver was worried on how Slade seemed to be living his life.

While most of their work together as high officials of the Bratva were to control and supervise certain operations, they had to get their hands dirty from time to time. It was their duty as Captains. While Oliver took the responsibility of Bratva business in the United States, Slade stayed in Moscow and became Anatoly's right hand man. So it wasn't that surprising when Slade said that Anatoly was the one responsible for arranging his marriage with Isabel – after all, Anatoly was also the closest thing that Slade had to a father and his approval was something that he sought even though he hid it well.

And that surprised Oliver.

Not so long ago, the last thing that Slade wanted was to be a faithful Bratva son. Even though he had been raised most of his life in the Brotherhood, just like Oliver, Slade was the one who wanted to leave it. And that all revolved around Shado and his love for her.

Slade was 21 years old when he met the young Shado. It was a soul crushing kind of love. The kind you read about in books and see in movies. The kind they write songs about. She was his entire universe and Slade wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with her. To top it off Shado wasn't a Bratva daughter, she was against the mere existence of the brotherhood. She was a kind and gentle soul, always helping others; the complete opposite of what Slade was when he met her. But for his love, for her, he was willing to give up Bratva, to run away and start fresh somewhere else.

But they never got to do it. On a night out Shado was hit by a drunk driver and died in Slade's arms. He watched helpless as the woman he loved perished. He lost the love of his life and all hopes of a life outside Bratva that day. He lost everything. Now, almost ten years later, he still hadn't got over it. The pain was still clear on his eyes and he seemed to have settled, given up, and decided that if the only thing he had left was the brotherhood, then he would do all he could to make Anatoly proud.

"Come on, Kid. Duty calls," Slade said as they walked through the mansion and towards the Bratva base of operations.

They walked the familiar path towards the secret door hidden by the bookcases in Anatoly's office. As they began their decent down the staircases, Oliver could feel the air become humid and heavy, filled with the familiar smell of mold and blood. It was nauseating.

When they reached the bottom they were met by grunts and the familiar sounds of hits and kicks hitting flesh. They made their way towards the sound.

"_Harder!_" Anatoly shouted, watching as two of his men kept hitting a man that was so brutally beaten that you could barely identify him, face swollen and covered in blood.

The man was sprawled on the cold and wet ground inside the familiar grey cell. He was shirtless and shoeless; covered in what was a mixture of blood and vomit. He groaned in pain, trying to use his bloody hands to protect his head from the violent kicks being showered all over his body. Oliver knew that this was deadly serious as soon as he spotted the Bratva tattoo on the mans forearm.

Oliver held himself still next to Slade, face become impassive. He hadn't seen something like this in ages, any Bratva business they had held in the past couple days had been purely cosmetic paperwork. He wanted to know why he was being punished.

"_Stop!"_ Anatoly ordered, the two men backing off waiting for his next command, _"Hold him up."_

The two men hauled the man up so Anatoly could speak face to face with him.

"_So Yuri, do you really think you could hide from me?"_ Anatoly said through clenched teeth, as the man struggled to keep his head up. _"The Pakhan?"_ Anatoly hissed, punching the man in the face, sending his head snapping back.

Oliver watched as Anatoly hit Yuri over and over, taking his frustrations out on the barely there man. It looked personal. A distraught feeling came over him, he knew the man. It was Yuri Makarov, one of the men that used to guard the estates perimeter. He had worked there for as long as Oliver could remember. He had a wife and kids. He had always been a loyal member of the brotherhood.

"_You know the code, Yuri. No one leaves!"_ Anatoly said, gripping his jaw tightly and making Yuri look up at him.

"_Oh, no. Please, no. I am begging you, Pakhan,_" Yuri pleaded, the words barely leaving his swollen lips, as he tried to speak.

"_You are a traitor. You put yourself above the brotherhood. You don´t deserve mercy_," Anatoly mocked with fury.

"_No,"_ The men begged, tears wetting his face, _"I will do better. Let me prove myself, Pakhan. Please, give me another chance."_

"_Hold onto your dignity and die like a man,"_ Anatoly said, as the man gasped, desperate as if he knew what was coming. They all knew what was coming.

"_I wont leave, I never wanted to leave. Please, give one more change. Let me go and I will prove it to you!"_

"_Oh, don´t worry. I will set you free,"_ Anatoly assured with a cold smile, his eyes filled with a chilling darkness.

"_Slade," Anatoly_ said lowly, as he walked away from the man.

"_No! No!"_ the men shouted, trying to fight the hold the guards had on him.

Slade moved quickly, and before Oliver could even blink or try to figure what the hell Anatoly was going to ask for, he shot Yuri in the head.

A splatter of red stained the wall behind him and his body fell limp on the ground as the two guards released him. Oliver watched, eyes unwavering at Yuri still open eyes, blood pooling underneath him.

Anatoly clicked his tongue in disapproval, looking down at the body on the ground before finally looking up and catching Oliver's eyes, as if he knew that he was there,_ "They never learn."_ He stepped away from the growing pool of blood and looked over at the two men,_" Get rid of the body."_

Oliver watched as Slade put his gun back inside his suit jacket while the two other Bratva men dragged Yuri's body away. That was a man he knew. A man his uncle used to trust. A man that put himself in front of bullets to protect his leader. A loyal man.

Oliver felt his stomach twist; watching the trail of blood that formed as Yuri's body was dragged away.

"You ok there, Kid?" Slade asked him, taking in the quiet Captain. Oliver had always been reserved in his outbursts when it came to violent acts like this. It was a sign of strength. But Slade could see below the veneer of what Oliver presented.

Oliver tore his eyes away from the blood. "I'm fine," he said coldly.

"I know you don't enjoy executions. But it comes with the territory. You know this," Slade whispered, knowing well enough that no one could hear this. The Captain was someone you looked up to. Someone that could do whatever was necessary to protect the Brotherhood. The last thing they needed was a Captain that looked shaken up after watching a traitor die.

"What was his crime?" Oliver asked, crossing his arm tightly against his chest, using it to ground him. He'd seen plenty of executions before. But he'd never been shaken by one. Shaken to the point where he didn't know what the fuck he was doing down here acting like it was normal.

"You know what it was," Slade shot back, looking around to see if there was anyone near by. There wasn't.

"Did he really want to leave the brotherhood? He has been in the Bratva his entire life. I can't see why he would leave," Oliver lied smoothly. They both knew that there were plenty of reasons to leave. Neither brought them up.

"There were rumors he wanted to leave Russia with his family. His older son is at the age to join the brotherhood, and he didn't seem to want that to happen. He was at the train station when Alek and Dimitri found him."

"And he broke the code and paid the price," Oliver finished for him. It didn't happen often, but when it did, it was always the same story.

"No one leaves the brotherhood. It's the code."

Oliver mulled over what to say as he prepared himself to leave. He couldn't be down here anymore. "Not so long ago you were ready to leave the brotherhood as well," Oliver whispered as Slade's eyes clouded over with memories of a life he would never have.

"And look how that turned out for me," Slade said as Oliver began to walk past him. Slade didn't stop him but managed to say, "Maybe that should be a lesson for all of us."

* * *

Oliver rushed through the mansion, ignoring the odd looks he was receiving from the guards he passed, feeling his stomach turn after everything that happened in that basement. He wasn't sure what sickened him more, Anatoly killing any man that broke his precious 'code' or how quickly Slade followed his wishes – without any hesitation whatsoever. But most of all, Oliver felt guilty for watching as another man died for the Bratva when all he wanted to do was protect his family. Didn't they have enough blood on their hands already? Shouldn't they focus on the real enemy instead of turning against their own when they just wanted to live?

He angrily pushed open the door of his and Felicity's bedroom, letting it crash closed behind him, as he strode towards the bathroom.

He turned on the lights and stepped in front of the vanity. Pressing his trembling hands against the cold stone counter, he closed his eyes and took deep breaths, trying to shut down the blast of feelings inside of him. He felt like he was about to explode.

He hadn't felt like this since he was 13 years old and saw a man being killed for the first time. Just like last time, Anatoly took a life without consideration or remorse. He was judge, jury and executioner. And Oliver stood and watched, frozen.

Oliver had watched countless executions in the past 20 years. He'd killed some of these people himself. Not even a month ago he was the one putting a bullet into a man's head. He shouldn't feel like this. But he did. No matter how much he always tried to bury the guilt he felt for every life he took, it always rushed back to him, especially when he was here. But Oliver always knew the reason why he pulled the trigger – to protect himself or those he cared about – or even to make sure other people wouldn't be hurt. But it was a decision that always consumed him. Each life he took, ripped another small piece of his humanity away. He had accepted this, learned to live with it. To carry the weight of his decisions with him for the rest of his life.

Yet here he was, his chest filled with hate and anger, feeling helpless and most of all remorseful. The same way he felt when he was 13 years old and took his first step into the Bratva.

Long ago he learned to deal with the guilt that tried to consume him. He knew he had to push it all away if he wanted to survive this world. The Bratva was a dark place that would consume anyone, piece by piece, until there was nothing left. That's why he needed The Crow. That's why he closed himself off to any extreme emotion for so long. But now…now everything was a mess again. He was feeling everything at once. His mixed emotions were exploding inside of him, making him nauseated. He was part of this. Part of that death that occurred in the basement.

The guilt was overwhelming. Not only for all the people he killed but also for those he did nothing for but stand near by and watch. He pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes and questioned what he had done with his life?

He wanted more. Fuck…he wanted more.

The realization almost bowled him over. It took him twenty years to admit he wanted more. That he wished for a life away from the horrors of the Bratva. A life he knew he could have had if his family was still alive. A life for Oliver Queen and not for The Crow. A life where he could be himself, without having to keep his guard up, a life with the woman he loved.

He'd never dared to wish for it before; after all he didn't have anything to live for besides the brotherhood. Now everything was different. He had a small glimpse of a life free of the Bratva, a life where he could be a regular man, where he could be safe and happy. Where he could be with Felicity.

He had opened himself up to Felicity. Let every laugh, every smile, every witty comeback in; he'd let her in. Let her break down the walls he'd used to protect himself for years. She was his salvation and his damnation.

When he opened himself to her, to the love he knew he felt for her, he had opened himself up to every emotion he'd denied himself for so long. And he felt like it was consuming him. Paired with what happened downstairs he felt like he needed it stop. He wouldn't survive like this. No, he needed to find a way to shut it all down, or he wouldn't be able to focus, he wouldn't be able to do this job. To protect himself and those he cared about, including her. Feeling made him vulnerable. It needed to stop.

"Oliver?" he heard Felicity ask from the open doorway, worry in her voice, making his body tense. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," he growled out, lowering his hands and watching her reflection in the bathroom mirror. He had been in such a rush to get away he hadn't realized she was in the bedroom when he'd entered. Her face was pinched with worry, lower lip in her mouth and her arms fiddling with the sleeves of her robe like she didn't know what to do. She always did that when she was nervous.

"You're not fine," she replied, slowly coming closer to him. She looked him up and down, almost like she was expecting to see him wounded or bleeding. Felicity swallowed for a second before continuing to move towards him. She knew it was a deeper wound.

A wound he had was on his soul. Dark and twisted. Broken. He couldn't do this. Not now. Not with her. "Felicity," he warned, his body turning towards her.

"What's going on?" she asked gently, moving to touch his arm. It was more to comfort him than anything else was, but her touch burned. It meant so much. It made him feel too much.

"Just leave," he said coldly, moving away from her touch. He couldn't deal with these overpowering emotions. He felt all his fears and insecurities rear their heads. She would leave him after this whole thing with the Triad was over with. After he was stripped bare and fell for her…she would leave him because she didn't feel the same. How could she? She'd pulled away when they kissed. Trying to avoid talking about it for days even though she promised that they would. He'd never kissed someone like that before.

He was losing himself. He needed to find a way to go back. To put himself together or he would break down. And if he broke, he would never be able to put himself back together again.

"Leave," he repeated emotionlessly.

She had flinched at his tone but didn't back down. Dropping her hand she continued to try to figure out what was going on. He didn't look all right. He looked frantic, cold, cornered. "Oliver, I thought we got past this. You know the phase where you act like a…"

"Please," he begged this time, cutting her off while still trying to remain cold and distant. He couldn't look into her eyes, "I need to be alone. I can't…I can't do this right now."

"Let me help you," she implored, reaching out as if to touch him again, "What can I do to help you?"

"You can't," he said in a pained tone, blurting out words without really explaining what he was truly feeling, "Don't you see it? Everything is messed up. I can't do this. I wasn't supposed to feel like this. I wasn't supposed to feel anything at all."

"Oliver," she whispered, voice unsteady and careful as her eyes filled with unshed tears. He was talking about her. Somehow she had ruined him. To love her was to open himself to everything he had spent the past twenty years running from. It made him…human. And whatever had happened before he returned to the room had drudged it back up along with whatever insecurities he was hiding behind, "Whatever your thinking it's…it's not…just tell me what's going on in your mind right now? What happened?"

"Please, just go away," he muttered, turning away from her unyielding stare; his head tucked down to his chest and his eyes closed. If he continued facing her she would find out. She would strip him open again and see what he was feeling inside, how insecure he felt. He wasn't strong enough. Not when it came to her.

"I can't," she said, her voice cracking at the downtrodden picture he painted, "That's not what friends do. We kindly ignore our bullheaded friends and continue to ask them what's wrong and how we can help them. Yes, everything's messed up but I'm not going anywhere."

"Why not? It's not like you have anything here, anything holding you back," he said bitterly, eyes flying open and thinking back to the kiss they had, as he turned to her. He remembered how she'd escaped to try to figure it all out. And while she did that he was being crashed upon by things he hadn't felt in ages or maybe ever, "And who said we were friends? We work together."

She took a step back as if she'd been slapped. Time didn't really stop. It only felt that way as his breath hitched at the hurt look on her face and he felt guilt wash over him. He'd gone too far. He'd let his thoughts run wild and he'd gone too far.

Her face became stony and for the first time since he'd met her he felt like she was shutting him out entirely. Fuck he'd crossed the line.

He shook his head lightly, backtracking over ever word he said to her. He didn't mean it, "I…fuck. I'm sorry. I just...it's been a long fucking day and…I let shit get away from me."

She looked away, eyes brimming with angry tears. She hadn't signed up for this. For being verbally attacked by someone she considered a friend, maybe something even more. She steadied herself before looking at him again, "When you came into the room I thought something was wrong. That someone had hurt you. So I did what I thought was right. I came to comfort you because I thought we were in that place in our…relationship."

She swallowed as she thought over what she'd felt this morning. The affection, warmth and safety she felt with him. She felt like he'd wiped it away with his harsh words and insecurities.

He took a step towards her, remorse and shame hitting him quickly and harshly. But she did the most heartbreaking thing, she stepped away from him.

"No," Felicity said, shaking her head, a hand help up to keep him away, "You don't get to talk to me like that or push your insecurities on me. I told you we would talk about it later. I thought you would respect that but I guess I was wrong."

Oliver frowned, no, he couldn't let her think that. He'd just let everything get away from him. The anger and what had happened in the basement consumed him and now he was backtracking and looking over everything he'd said. He'd blamed her. And from the torn look she was giving him, he'd been completely wrong in doing so.

"You know as much as you're terrified about what's going on here, how things have changed between us…I'm terrified too, Felicity said, sniffling, "The only difference is that I wouldn't dare take it out on you."

She turned and walked out of the room without looking back.

He clenched his fists by his side before pushing everything off the counter, "Fuck!"

They really needed to get the hell out of Russia.

* * *

Felicity slept curled away from him that night, her back towards him. She blamed having light cramps but she was lying and they both knew it. When the morning came, Felicity was long gone, the side of her bed cold. His heart gave a twinge at the sight but he ignored it, knowing that he would see her at breakfast. He'd be able to maybe talk to her then.

That plan was derailed when, exiting his room he was met by Roy, who told him that Felicity, Raisa, and Sara had already left for the day to look for dresses for the ballet. He thanked Roy and had breakfast alone for the first time in weeks. He hoped his face didn't betray how much he missed her.

The day passed quickly after that as he worked with Slade on some local matters. It was early afternoon before Felicity, Raisa, and Sara returned. They were weighed down by bags that he helped with. Felicity thanked him with a quick kiss on the lips before Raisa shooed him away, saying that they needed to prepare for the night together.

It fueled his need to talk with every second he saw Raisa and Felicity spending together. They…had taken to each other as family would. His family.

He didn't get to see her after that, Raisa insisting that she wanted to continue her girls day with Felicity. So two of the most important women in his life rode to the theatre together while he sat in a limousine with Anatoly, Slade &amp; Isabel, all pretending like their wasn't a palpable tension between them. He was so distracted by thoughts of Felicity that he didn't even snipe at Isabel and her shocking red dress.

When they arrived at the theatre, Isabel gave him a cursory look, as if questioning why he was alone, before Slade led her away to their private box. Anatoly didn't even have time to make small talk before Raisa appeared, pulling Felicity with her.

"Anatoly! Oliver," Raisa said in excitement as they met up. Raisa let go of Felicity and Anatoly pressed a kiss to his sister's cheek.

"You look lovely," Anatoly said, glancing at her glamorous looking pink satin dress.

Raisa grinned, "Thank you. And what about Felicity? Don't you think she looks lovely?"

"Very," Anatoly said, appraising Felicity's black plunging sleeveless dress.

Felicity shifted uncomfortably but managed to play it off with a bashful smile, "Thank you." When Sara had suggested the dress to her earlier on in the day, she knew it was the one. She felt beautiful in it and felt comfortable in the familiar dark color. It'd been too long.

Raisa patted Anatoly's shoulder before she said, "Now let's leave these two to say hi. They haven't seen each other all day and I think he's in shock because of the dress."

Oliver could see them retreat from the corner of his eye.

Raisa was right, he was in shock. He'd never seen something so awe inspiringly beautiful that he felt his breath catch as if he'd never get it back. He swallowed and wiped his hands on his pants legs as if clearing something off. In all reality they were sweaty. Oliver Queen's hands had never done that over a woman.

Clearing his throat he said, "You look breathtaking." He didn't mean to blurt that out but by the way she pressed her lips together he knew he'd gotten to her. There was a smile hidden under all the anger that she held for him since last night. Some of the tension from the previous night bled out. Only a little bit of it.

"Thank you," she said carefully as he approached her. Knowing that this wasn't an appropriate place for affections he held out an arm for her and she took it, guardedly looking to Anatoly and Raisa in front of them, who were already at the end of the hall.

She didn't say anything else, unsure of what to say since last night and the fact that she hadn't seen him all day.

Oliver sighed, in frustration at himself mainly, before leading her down the expansive hallway. They followed signs placed on the opulent red and gold halls until they were waved through a door. They passed through a curtain and stepped into the most beautiful theatre in all of Russia.

He had been there a couple of times but this was Felicity's first time. Her eyes widened a bit and her mouth parted into a small smile. "It's beautiful," she said in awe at the beautifully open area.

At her words the other people in the premium box turned to look at them. They paused, taking in the beautiful couple that they made. Oliver recognized many of them as old classmates. The women appraised him, eyes wanting. The men did the same to Felicity, eyes pleased and jealous. Holding himself steady, Oliver placed a hand on the curve of her hip, his large hand making it so his thumb grazed her exposed skin. The touch was affectionate and possessive at the same time and it was a win that she didn't flinch away from him. She gave the people near by a tight smile. She knew where she was.

Oliver guided her around the three rows and led them to a seat in the middle of the front row where Anatoly and Raisa already sat next to Isabel and Slade. He gave the area a careful look as Raisa spoke to Felicity.

"You'll love it dear," Raisa said, handing Felicity a glossy looking program, "I got this for you."

"Thank you, Raisa," Felicity said, brightening for the first time that night as she took the program into her hands. It was kind of useless to have a program all in Russia but she didn't mind as she began flipping through it, oohing at the beautiful photos.

"If you like those, then you'll really like the show," Oliver supplied, leaning closer to speak into her ear, playing it off as a loving gesture.

Felicity pivoted her head quickly to look at him, only registering his comment with a tiny smile that looked sweet to the classmates that were watching them. But he can see the look in her eyes. It was all for show.

He clenched his teeth for second before taking her hand and leaning back in his seat. She curled her fingers lightly around his and kept her eyes forward, still upset with him.

"This place is beautiful Oliver," Felicity gushed lightly, distracting herself from the infuriatingly beautiful man next to her. He'd been making puppy eyes at her as if she'd hurt him and she didn't know how to take it. So she focused on how beautiful she felt in her black dress and how regal the theatre they sat in looked. She didn't know if she'd ever seen anything so grand or if she ever would again.

Oliver patted their joined hands lovingly, "The first of many. I'll take you to a couple of my favorite theatres. There's one in Italy I think you'd like."

"Promise?" she asked, keeping her eyes wide and observing as a sound echoed throughout the theatre, announcing the beginning of the show. Raisa and even Isabel made an excited noise as it began.

He tested their boundaries again by keeping her hand in his as the lights dimmed, "Promise."

Music rang out and the large red curtains of the stage opened. She turned her face to look at him one last time before the ballet started. She smiled, game face on, and sweetly said, "Thank you."

Something twisted in him at the sugary sweet tone she used. Felicity wasn't sugary sweet. She was fierce and surprising. The dancers came out and he watched her profile, eyes darting around the stage at the exuberance and lovely outfits they wore.

They shouldn't be like this. They shouldn't be tense; calm and collected as if they were just 'partners'. Because they weren't just 'partners'. They were more. And he wasn't going to let this poisonous place where Anatoly reveled in the power he held over others and the place where his haunted memories lived, drag him back down.

What he had thought and said in the bathroom last night was cruel and unjust; to him and to her. It did make him realize one thing though...he wanted more. And as soon as they returned to Starling City they were going to talk about all of 'this'. Whether she wanted to or not they would talk about the bond and trust that had formed between them.

They would talk about that kiss.

* * *

Felicity handed over her bag to Oliver. It was time. After a week spent in Russia they were finally going back to Starling City.

Raisa hadn't let Felicity out of her sight all morning, wanting to spend time with Oliver and her up to the last second. Right now Raisa was giving her the most heartfelt goodbye. She was surprised to find she missed her mother just then.

Raisa held Felicity's hands between them, "I'm sorry we didn't get anytime to dig up Oliver's photos when he was a kid. You would have loved them."

Felicity grinned, "It's ok. The stories were good enough. Trust me."

Raisa laughed, and whispered conspiratorially, "Yes, good blackmail for the next time he gets cheeky with you."

She did now have a nice treasure trove of stories courtesy of Raisa. It was her favorite topic. Raisa loved Oliver dearly and spent a great deal of her time talking about him to Felicity.

"Thank you for having us, Raisa. It was…it was really nice meeting you," Felicity said in a lightly trembling voice. She had connected with the woman on another level, seen the love that Oliver was exposed to as a young boy. She suspected that she was the reason Oliver survived so long.

Raisa gathered her in for a hug, the emotion in Felicity's voice reflected in her own, "It was fantastic meeting you Felicity. You are a brilliant woman who has done something remarkable."

Felicity looked at her in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"In the past week I have seen Oliver smile and laugh more than I've seen in years. Somehow you managed to harness that light that's still inside of him. Don't let it go, ok?"

Felicity felt the weight of her words. She could do nothing but smile and nod, "I won't. I promise." She meant the words.

Oliver returned at that moment, placing a hand on the back of both women, "Don't make her cry, Raisa."

Raisa clicked her tongue and let go of Felicity, before patting the side of Oliver's face, "I should tell you that."

Oliver and Felicity shifted uncomfortably for a second, eyes darting to each other. Did Raisa know that things had been tense for the last day or two?

Raisa continued, "You two have something special here, something lasting. I want to see even more smiles and happiness the next time you visit. And a longer one too."

Oliver swallowed, heart in his throat. Her approval warmed something inside him. "Maybe next time you can visit us?" he suggested.

Felicity didn't know where the question came from but she jumped on it when Raisa's face broke out into a delighted smile, "Yes, next time you must visit us. We'll show you around Starling City. Show you some of my favorite spots."

Raisa pulled them both into a hug that brought Felicity and Oliver's faces together. They held each other's eyes as Raisa spoke, "That's an offer that I will most certainly take you up on."

Oliver gave Felicity the tiniest smile, hoping that it conveyed how sorry he was. Her shoulders relaxed the tiniest bit and she returned the smile with pressed lips, before turning to Raisa. She pulled both of them down to press kisses to their cheeks. Her eyes were watering.

"I'll see you soon, my boy," Raisa said, sniffling a bit as she took a step back and looked at both of them, "Both of you. I'll see both of you soon. Now I'm going to go and check your room to see if anything is left."

Oliver stepped forward. "I'll check with you," Oliver volunteered. He looked back at Felicity, "You'll be ok?"

She nodded and pointed back at the SUV where Slade, Roy and Sara were packing the car, "I'll be ok."

Felicity watched them walk away and up the stairs, Raisa whispering things to him like a mother would to a son who was leaving for an extended amount of time; worried and excited all at once. When they reached the top of the stairs, Oliver looked back at her once final time before disappearing.

Her hands fiddled with the hem of her coat, rolling the edge between her fingers as per habit. If she had the chance she wouldn't mind seeing Raisa again. But definitely not in this house. What it did to him…what it did to her, was not something she wanted to experience again. She wouldn't mind Raisa coming to Starling City and visiting them there. She enjoyed the woman's company and saw getting to know her as one of the highlights of the trip.

Echoing footsteps came from behind her and she turned, expecting it to be Oliver returning for something. She was wrong. It was Anatoly.

Since arriving at the mansion she had managed to avoid being alone with the man because Oliver or Raisa were always there. Felicity was having no such luck now.

He walked up to her, a lazy smile on his face to match with his empty and challenging eyes. It unnerved her. When he held out his hand to shake, she contemplated for a second denying him her touch. But she knew where she was. She had to take his hand.

"Ms. Smoak, it was a pleasure meeting you," he said smoothly, shaking her hand and not letting go.

She returned his smile, "The pleasure was mine. Thank you for letting us stay in your home. It really is beautiful."

His smile turned knowing and commanding. She felt her blood run cold, "Maybe next time Raisa and I will visit you in Starling. Get to see what you're really up to when so many intruding guards aren't around. They really are a bother sometimes."

He gripped her hand, a little too tightly if she was being honest. He was smiling at her, but then again he wasn't. It was this sort of manic gesture that screamed 'back away'. She would have if she thought she could pull her hand away without causing a scene.

"I don't know, I quite enjoy Sara's company. Even Roy sometimes," she shot back lightly, reminding him of where they were.

Felicity looked back and saw that Roy and Slade were helping Sara put things into the SUV. Her guard was busy and Oliver wasn't back. As soon as Oliver came back Anatoly would let go. She knew it. She would have to hold her ground until then.

"I'm glad you've made friends during your time with Oliver," Anatoly continued, smile hardening at not being able to frighten her.

Felicity heard chatter coming from the stairs, signaling that someone was approaching. Oliver was coming. Patting their joined hands she took a small step forward and made sure her eyes didn't waver from his, "Family, Anatoly. I've made family."

His eyes betrayed him at her words. There was malice in them, a want to figure out what was going on between Oliver and Felicity by any means necessary. And he wouldn't be getting it from Felicity now.

"Uncle," Oliver said from the top of the stairs. Raisa was right next to him as they descended. When they reached the bottom Raisa kissed Oliver's cheek one last time before disappearing off a side door. His eyes zeroed in on their joined hands, "Came to say goodbye?"

Anatoly released his grip on her and Felicity felt like she could breath again. Oliver came to stand next to Felicity and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. No matter what the hell happened to them, he could read her tense nature and wanted to keep her safe.

His touch made her feel safe.

"Anatoly was just talking about maybe visiting us in Starling," Felicity said, voice betraying her immense need to drag Oliver out of the place, "Wouldn't that be nice?"

Oliver nodded, eyes trained still on his uncle, "That would be fantastic. Until next time Uncle."

He held out his hand and Anatoly shook it. He looked between them, eyes thoughtful. "Have a safe trip," he said, an edge to his voice that was easily recognizable.

Oliver's hand gripped Felicity's shoulder as he turned her away from Anatoly and began leading her out, "Thank you Uncle."

They could both feel his watching eyes on their backs as they piled into the car and drove away. And with every mile that they put between the home, between Anatoly and them, they felt like they could breath a little more easily again.

Oliver's eyes flickered to Felicity when they arrived at the airport, when they said their quick goodbyes to Slade, and when she took a seat across from him. She'd been quiet, eyes lost in her own thoughts and barely speaking. Returning back to Starling City and away from this poisonous place would be good for them.

When Oliver turned his eyes to Sara and Roy for the pre-flight check, Felicity's eyes flickered over to Oliver. She knew he'd been watching her. Trying to gauge what had happened back at the mansion between her and Anatoly. It would be good for them to return to Starling, the world and life that they were familiar with.

His angry words flashed in her mind and she closed her eyes. She remembered his comforting touch when they woke up together; how he looked at her and the affection she knew she felt for him. All of them were a cluster of emotion stuck in her chest.

They just needed to return to Starling City. They needed to get the hell away from this place and get back home, where things made some sort of sense. She held onto that thought the entire flight.

* * *

The moment the plane hit the track in Starling City, Felicity felt immensely better. It was like coming home almost washed away all the things that Anatoly had said to her, all the things that he made her feel; the fear and the horror that seemed to emanate from that home. He was the kind of man that chased people in nightmares. And if China White had a male counter part that haunted her, it would be Anatoly Knyazev.

"Home sweet home," Roy said with a yawn as the plane stopped moving and the pilot announced the end of their journey.

"Finally," Sara said with a groan, stretching her legs and moving to pick up her backpack. "I need some Big Belly Burger."

"Oh, you know the way to my heart, Lance," Roy said with a hand to his chest as the two of them took the luggage and stepped off the plane.

Felicity got up from the plush leather seat and buttoned up her black coat over her green dress, feeling the need to have it wrapped around her and ground her. She was physically and emotionally exhausted. But she was glad to be home and in a place that things could go back to normal, what ever that was.

"Hey, are you ok?" Oliver asked her softly, bringing her out of her thoughts. He was watching her, as she seemed to be on autopilot. She had been like that ever since they left Moscow. He had tried a couple times to make up for what he said to her a few days ago. Yet, she was still wary.

"Yeah, I'm just tired," she shrugged, packing her tablet away in her bag along with some things she'd been fiddling with.

Oliver shoulders dropped and a sigh escaped his lips. Grabbing her carryon he stepped to the side and let her pass him, "Let's go home then."

She noted that while things between her and Oliver were still strained, he seemed to worry about her, his eyes finding hers many times during the plane ride. With each inquiring look, clear as day on his face, he seemed to be wondering why she was so lost in thought. Wondering if she was ok? And no matter how much of an asshole he had been with her on that night in the bathroom, how closed of he'd been, it was clear that Oliver cared. But it didn't erase his words or ease her thoughts and confusion as to the reason why he'd done it. She thought they were past that.

Diggle was there to pick them up in a large Audi SUV. Sara and Roy helped him put the bags in the trunk, and they all got into the car with no fuss. Diggle and Oliver fell into easy conversation – with Diggle giving updates on their operations during their time away. Felicity sat quietly, barely noticing the drive to the Queen Manor, only realizing they were there when the large iron gates of the mansion closed behind them.

As soon as Diggle parked the car, Roy and Sara took the bags inside the mansion with the help of some of the security that was guarding the front yard. Sara and Roy kept going about eating the supposedly best burger in Starling City, while Oliver stood back in deep discussion with Diggle. Felicity was left to stand there and wonder if she should go up by herself or wait for Oliver.

Anya was there.

"_Captain_," Anya greeted, joining them in the foyer, "_Welcome home, sir_."

"_Anya_," Oliver said shortly, handing her his large trench coat. For a moment he'd forgotten about the piece of Anatoly that resided in his home.

"I hope you had a good journey," Anya said, her posture perfectly straight, her arms behind her back, her eyes on Oliver. She reminded Felicity of a soldier, of Anatoly's soldier to be precise. The thought alone made her shiver as she came to stand next to Oliver.

"I did. Now I am back," Oliver said coldly, not wanting to prolong the conversation, as the older woman stared him and Felicity down. Felicity instantly took a step closer to Oliver, as he moved his hand to her back, moving his thumb in small comforting circles. That was new.

"_Do you want to eat something, Captain? I can order Nikolai to make you a meal_," Anya asked him, as Oliver looked down to Felicity.

"Do you want something to eat?" Oliver asked Felicity, running his hand down her back and eventually curling around her hip, making a small shiver run down her arms.

"I'm not hungry. I'm really tired though; I think I'll just head to bed. Take a nap," Felicity answered, moving to hold onto Oliver's arm and look up at him lovingly. Or what she hoped looked lovingly since Anya was staring them down.

"You sure?" Oliver asked, worried, "You didn't eat anything on the plane. You should have something."

"I'm sure. I just need a hot shower and to sleep ten or maybe twelve hours. The jetlag will kill me tomorrow if I don't," she rambled, as Anya watched their interaction with keen eyes.

"Ok, I will join you later. I have some unfinished business to attend to with Diggle," Oliver explained, as Felicity nodded and pulled away from his warm and steady hold. She walked up to their room without a glance back.

Felicity reached their bedroom and let a relieved gasp escape as she closed the door behind her. She could stop pretending everything was ok here, even if for a bit. She pressed her back against the door for a second before pushing off and removing her black coat and handbag and placing it on the bed. The pearl necklace that used to belong to Moira Queen and that had adorned her neck for the past week, followed right after. Carefully she put the pearls inside a small jewelry box that Oliver had gotten her specifically for the necklace. She still felt overwhelmed in a good way that Oliver had let her wear them.

She slowly removed her boots, sighing in relief when her toes curled into the plush carpet. She dropped them on the ground near the edge of the bed where her coat and bag lay, not caring if Oliver would throw a hissy fit over her things not being put away properly. She was way too tired to care about Oliver's OCD tendencies.

Removing her glasses, she put her hair on top of her head in a messy bun, and walked to where her suitcase was waiting for her. Pulling out some comfy clothes to change, she strode over towards the bathroom. She caught her reflection as she put her clothes down. She was looking at a beautiful stranger, someone that she had gotten used to and that her mother would be proud of, she thought bitterly.

She needed to wash it all away.

"Felicity?" she heard Oliver call out from the bedroom as he entered, door closing behind him.

"I'm in the bathroom," she answered, pulling out some wipes to take her makeup off. She just needed this day to be over. She was exhausted.

"Hi," Oliver said softly, stopping at the threshold of the bathroom, arms lightly crossed against his chest. He didn't hesitate to ask, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Felicity said quickly, eyes still on her reflection in the mirror as she took her lipstick off. "Shouldn't you be debriefing Diggle?"

"Not if you needed me," Oliver said, concerned. She'd run off to the room as if someone was chasing her and after a couple minutes thinking about her he'd excused himself from John, "I can deal with Diggle later."

"I don't need you now. Besides, we're not even friends, right? You don't need to act concerned," she said shortly, voice void of emotion. Her words stung and she knew it. She relished the hurt that flashed in his eyes as his words came back to haunt him.

He tapped his fingers against the doorframe, trying to figure out where to start. "Felicity, I'm so sorry. You know I didn't mean it," Oliver apologized, his face filled with regret.

Her hands dropped and she looked down at the sink. "You can go back to your business, Captain," she said, not giving in.

His shoulders dropped and he blurted out, "Are we really going to play this game, Felicity?"

She whirled around and looked at him, eyes wide and disbelieving at what he'd said. "I'm not playing anything. We're not friends. You're my Captain, my partner. Now, I'm tired, Oliver. So if you don't mind, I really want to take my shower in peace," she repeated, throwing his words back at him and hoping he could take the cue and leave her. But Oliver stood there, staring at her. He was holding his ground and it took her by surprise, "What?"

"Felicity, you promised me that we would talk about what happened in Russia," Oliver calmly said, trying to rein back his frustration.

"Well, what happens in Russia stays in Russia," she said, trying to end the conversation once more.

He took a small step into the room. He was trying to talk to her. Get through to her. He couldn't understand why she wasn't giving him a chance to talk, to explain, "Why are you being like this?"

"Like what?"

"Distant. Like things haven't changed between us. Like the world didn't stop spinning when we kissed."

"Oliver, you know why," she said, tossing her makeup wipes away and pausing to look down at the ground, the wall, anywhere but him, "You made it abundantly clear the last time we were in a bathroom together."

"I made a mistake ok? I shouldn't have treated you like that."

"No shit," she said, getting angrier at his attempts to apologize, when all she wanted to do was escape to her shower. "I'm not one of your one night stands Oliver. You can't just say it was a 'mistake' and expect everything to be ok. I don't need to take your shit," she hissed, feeling a ramble coming.

"I know that!" he said, his tone desperate, as he threw his hands in the air, "I know you aren't. You're so much more than that. If you would just let me explain…"

"I don't want your explanations, Oliver. I want your absence," she said, holding back the angry tears that were pooling in her eyes, "Please, just let me go."

"No," he said, in a pained tone, "I can't."

"Oliver," she whispered, rubbing her temples before looking at him. She was too tired to keep this going. But the look on his face…their was desperation there that told her he wasn't going to back down.

A few beats of silence followed. Neither moved or spoke. He took the lifeline she was giving him to explain.

"I know you don't want to hear what I have to say. I know that I was a jerk with you. That night there was so much going on that you have no idea about," Oliver said, mind flashing back to the basement, "So much that I felt like I was barely hanging on there. So much that it made me lash out at you when you didn't deserve it."

He'd never done something like this, admitted that he was wrong. But for her, he'd do it. He had too because this was bigger than his insecurities.

"Then why did you decide to leave me in the dark then? I thought we were partners. That you wouldn't keep this fucking act up anymore. Not with me. Not after everything we have been through and will go through," she shouted, feeling her defenses struggle.

"Because I was scared, OK!" he shouted, taking another step towards her. In a tight voice admitted what he feared. "I was scared. Simple as that. I…for so long…for so long I've just shut everything out. Kept all of those feelings buried deep inside of me; the ones that you feel when you care for someone, when you want them to be ok and you wouldn't feel complete if you didn't talk to them. I couldn't let myself feel all of those emotions. Not if I wanted to survive this world, survive the Bratva," he said with clenched teeth.

Felicity remained quiet, watching him as he continued.

"For so long I couldn't trust anyone. I couldn't let my guard down. Not with anyone," Oliver said, looking down to the cold bathroom floor, body tense and fists clenched at his sides, "When you go like that for so long…you don't see people…you see targets and threats. But then…" he looked up at her and she felt herself waver at the frustrated sincerity in his eyes, "...I met you, and everything changed. I couldn't hold back feeling anymore. You came blasting into my life, making me feel all the things that I promised myself I couldn't feel. Things that I thought I was too broken for besides hate, anger and my desire for revenge."

"Oliver," she muttered, not sure what to say as he took another step closer to her. No one had ever been this honest with her. He'd never been this honest with her.

"When I lost my family, I lost everything. I had no one. Then when Raisa and Anatoly took me in I thought it would be ok, that maybe I wouldn't be so hurt and alone. But very quickly I learned that there wasn't anything that I loved that couldn't be taken from me. Loving something or someone would leave me vulnerable. Weak. Anatoly made sure to teach me that very important lesson. Something that he enjoys reminding me of until this day," Oliver said bitterly, remembering Anatoly's threats disguised as fatherly advice. He didn't want to bring up these things but at this point it was go big or go home.

"The things I had to do to survive…I'm not proud of them. In fact, I despise it. I hate the kind of man I had to become. Full of guilt and shame. The broken and tarnished man that Anatoly molded me into, his Captain, his Crow. The only thing I had left after he was done with me was my desire to avenge my family's death. I was living I life I was trapped in with no remorse, no pain, and no shame. No love. I let the emptiness inside of me consume me until all that was left was darkness. And then…you came barreling into my life. Breaking into my home, all bold and beautiful," Oliver whispered, eyes far away as he remembered their first meeting. Felicity could almost feel tears forming in the back of her deep blue eyes.

"And I put you through the ringer at first. Because that's what I was used to. But no matter how hurt and broken you looked, you were a warrior. You just had this light inside of you, this fire. It was intoxicating. It was like seeing that light can shine in the darkest of places," Oliver said, a small smile forming on his lips. He was just letting everything pour out of him, each word leaving him feeling lighter, "I couldn't stay away that, from you. No matter how much I tried. It was like a moth to the flame. You consumed me."

Felicity took a short and sharp breath at the end of his confession and tears clouded her vision. He was only a couple feet away from her now, close enough to touch.

"Before I knew it I was feeling again, opening myself to you until you saw the real me. And you didn't back off like I expected. Hell I didn't back off like I expected. I kept pushing forward. You kept on pushing forward. I didn't know that I could just be Oliver Queen, the guy who sits with a pretty girl and watches stupid movies about archers while eating junk food and poking fun at each other. And before I knew it I had fallen in love with you."

The little half-smile on his lips became a full real one.

Felicity looked at him in astonishment, expecting him to take it back or maybe correct himself. He didn't. She felt like something warm had spread across her chest and throughout her body. Feeling something wet on her cheek she lifted her hand to her face. She was crying.

Her eyes refocused on him, calculating the distance between them. Her throat tightened at the onslaught of emotions she was feeling, "Oliver…I…"

He wanted to reach out to her and finally clear the distance between them but he held himself. He had to tell her all of it before he lost his nerve, "Our world is dangerous. You know. I know that. But I can't get you out of my head. I don't want to. And I'm sorry for the other day. You didn't deserve my anger or my insecurities about us. I was the one that was feeling again and felt like I was vulnerable. I was the one who was scared that the things Anatoly has made me do or watch would come back to you. I was the one that was scared that the woman he loved would leave him after they were done with their 'mission' because who would want a broken toy like the Crow. It was all me, Felicity."

The tears came unbidden when he looked at her with imploring eyes, tears shinning in his blue eyes to match her own.

They stood in silence for a few seconds. The depth of everything that Oliver had confessed hitting her hard. He was afraid, as afraid of everything as she was. Afraid that they would part ways after this was done. Afraid of the weight of their feelings. Afraid of what the Bratva and its world would do to them. Afraid of how things were changing. To top it off Oliver carried so much guilt inside of him, so much pain and regret that The Crow had consumed that something as new and bright as love scared him. But she knew the man that Oliver Queen was, the man behind the mask, the man that...she had fallen in love with as well.

"You're wrong, you know? You won't lose me," she whispered, her voice trembling, as she tried to keep her emotions in check.

"Haven't I already?" Oliver asked, letting it all show. The fear of losing her, to having his heart crushed by her rejection, and most of all, his love for her. There were no walls anymore.

"I…," she didn't know how to continue. She stood frozen, her body trembling, her heart jumping inside her chest. Listening to Oliver say all of those things, to open himself up with all of those fears and insecurities. It was everything she dreamt about, but something held her back. Something telling her that maybe this was a dream. That somehow it wasn't real.

"It is real," Oliver said, reaching forward hesitantly to wipe a tear away.

"What?" She hadn't realized she'd spoken aloud.

"I know that you felt the same thing I felt when we kissed. I know you feel that things are changing between us. I know that you want me as much as I want you," Oliver whispered, trailing his thumb across her cheek, and leaving a warm trail. He tucked a fallen strand of hair from her bun behind her ear before finally going for it and cupping her cheek. Despite her control she felt herself nuzzle it slightly, "What I can't understand is why you're fighting this."

"Oliver, please," she began again. Could she do this, could she put her heart on the line like he had? Could she risk losing herself over it?

He took the final steps towards her and placed his other hand on her other cheek. Tilting her face up he said, "I know you're scared. I am too. But this is the first real thing I have felt in a long time. Don't shut me out."

Despite his hold on her face, the closeness of his body, and his confessions, she still tried to grasp at straws, "We shouldn't do this. It's better if we forgot it ever happened. We were playing our parts for your psycho uncle, and we blurred the lines. You know this. Just let it go, Oliver."

"I can't let it go. I won't. You know how I feel about you. I won't let you run away from it, not this time"

"Don't you see this will make things harder than they already are?" she asked, placing her hands on top of the ones on her face, ready to pull them off. She could feel her hold begin to loosen on her thoughts. She just didn't want to get hurt anymore. And this love with Oliver could hurt her. It already did the day that he lashed out on her.

He ducked down to meet her eyes "Can't get harder than this. I'm not pretending anymore. I want to be with you. Do you want to be with me?" he asked, and for the first time, Oliver was afraid that maybe his feelings were one sided.

The look in his eyes…it hurt her. He wasn't giving up on her despite the fact that she was scared. He was asking her if she wanted to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her despite all the trouble that might come their way? If she loved him as much as he loved her? If she would stand with him on this? Everything crumbled inside her when she realized that she did. She wanted all of it with him.

Closing her eyes she leaned her head forward and rested her forehead against his. She didn't say anything for a few beats, collecting herself and what she was going to say. He kept quiet, hands on her face, forehead pressed against hers as she shook, "We started this as a deal. A way to avenge those that we lost."

His thumbs moved over cheeks calmly, letting her speak, "After losing them…my family…I came to you for help. I expected things to be hard, to be difficult. What I didn't expect was you. You were so hard and cold. Pushing people away as hard as you could. Pushing me away. And it didn't just hit me one day, that I cared for you."

His shoulders relaxed almost immediately and he pressed closer to her body, listening intently.

"It came over time. Beneath all that crap and cold you fed me…you were a good man. A man who laughed, a man who smiled. A man I could connect too and feel safe with; feel wanted," she said in a rushed breath, squeezing her eyes tight as a fresh wave of tears hit her, "I've been alone for the longest time. Lost people like…Cooper, Sin, my family. And I just…I've become so used to that kind of life. Where you get let down, abandoned. And like you…I'm scared."

A small cry left her and he shushed her, "It's ok."

She could feel his words close to her mouth, warm breath reminding her that there was little distance between them, "You see the good in me. You see the person that I am, smart mouth and everything. I…don't want to pretend anymore. I don't want to think that this might be a dream that I'm going to wake up from where I'm alone again…not loved."

"You won't be. This is real," he assured lightly. He wouldn't let anything happen to her, "I won't let anything happen to you."

Both knew that the things could change at any second and that he might not be able to keep his promise, but neither spoke of it.

Her hands trailed down his arms and grasped his forearms. The last straws of doubt were gone and this was it. "Oliver I…"

"Please, don't ask me to let you go," he muttered, lips grazing hers.

She shook her head, bracing herself. When she had awoken next to him a couple days ago she hadn't known what she was feeling inside, what made her think of him all the time. What made her want to make sure he was ok. She didn't know what the affection he held for him meant. Now she did. The words were right in front of her the whole time.

"I'm not letting you go. Not for an inch, not for a second," she assured, finally reaching out for what she felt for him, what the feelings inside of her was, and holding on tightly to it, "I love you."

He let out a relieved and admittedly shaky happy noise before pressing forward and kissing her. His grip on her tightened and she onto him as they felt like a weight had been lifted off of them. This wasn't like their first kiss, warm mouths pressed against each other because they had too, because they had to put on a show. They were kissing, bodies pressed flush against each other like one of them might disappear, because they wanted too.

Because he loved her.

Because she loved him.

Felicity kissed him earnestly; warm sparks running down from where he held her. He pressed breathless kisses to her soft and pink mouth, heart feeling at ease with her there. His hands left her face as they lost themselves and wrapped around her waist, bringing her closer as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He stood, her feet now barely touching the ground as he explored her mouth, tongue coming out to graze her lips before delving inside. The momentum grew and the kiss became more reckless, more consuming, more happy. They were memorizing each other's mouths, memorizing each other's lips, each other's touch.

Every stupid fight, every smile, every shared joke, every time they poked fun at each other, every time they had trusted each other, every time they had cared...had lead to this.

This wasn't a dream. This was real.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter! They are back in Starling City and back on track with some new developments between them! Thank you for reading and reviewing (if you do, we live off of them.) See you next week!**

**Love,**

**PoisonAngelMuse &amp; TheAlternativeSource**


	11. Love Me Like You Do

**The Crow Chapter 11 – Love Me Like You Do**

**Disclaimer:** We own nothing but our plot and our own characters. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to DC Comics and CW Television. All rights over this idea and its concepts belong to us. This work is intended for the private enjoyment of the reader and is not to be shared on any other sites (besides AO3 and FF) or events without our express permission.

* * *

**A/N: Hi everyone! Thank you all for the amazing support. We love you guys so much and are here to help you during these hard times aka the Arrow hiatus. Which is just one week! Didn't it pass by fast?**

**Also it's our one-year anniversary writing together! YAY! We've got three stories on our belt and are so grateful to have every single one of you as our readers. Thank you!**

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**Link for The Crow Soundtrack - /lyra-aureus/the-crow-official-soundtrack**

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**Music - Love Me Like You Do by Ellie Goulding**

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_You're the light, you're the night__  
__You're the color of my blood__  
__You're the cure, you're the pain__  
__You're the only thing I wanna touch__  
__Never knew that it could mean so much, so much_

_You're the fear, I don't care__  
__Cause I've never been so high__  
__Follow me to the dark__  
__Let me take you past our satellites__  
__You can see the world you brought to life, to life_

_So love me like you do, love me like you do__  
__Love me like you do, love me like you do__  
__Touch me like you do, touch me like you do__  
__What are you waiting for?_

_Fading in, fading out__  
__On the edge of paradise__  
__Every inch of your skin is a holy grail I've got to find__  
__Only you can set my heart on fire, on fire__  
__Yeah, I'll let you set the pace__  
__Cause I'm not thinking straight__  
__My head spinning around I can't see clear no more__  
__What are you waiting for?_

_Love me like you do, love me like you do__  
__Love me like you do, love me like you do__  
__Touch me like you do, touch me like you do__  
__What are you waiting for?_

_I'll let you set the pace__  
__Cause I'm not thinking straight__  
__My head spinning around I can't see clear no more__  
__What are you waiting for?_

Neither Oliver nor Felicity would think of that bathroom the same way again.

They spent about 20 minutes in there after they confessed how they felt about each other. Kissing like a pair of teenagers, high on each others taste and touch. When they left the bathroom they didn't stop either. Felicity got his jacket and button up off before they tumbled into bed together, kissing languidly until they tired themselves out.

They could have taken it further, both feeling like they were making up for lost time, but they held themselves back. Oliver didn't want to rush things with her and risk messing things up. This was more important than any of those other hookups he'd had in the past. This was important. This took time. And he was willing to take it. And Felicity hadn't been in a serious relationship for a long time. She wanted to discover him slowly, peel away at the body that he had to offer when the time was right. And it would be right…soon.

They'd spent most of the night trading lazy kisses, legs tangled together and chests pressed together as they lay on their sides. They talked for a little as well. Oliver confessed to her what happened in the basement in Russia. Told her about Anatoly and the way that he had ordered Slade to kill that man; how it felt different and surprising and how it opened his eyes. Felicity ran her fingers through the short hair on the nape of Oliver's neck, listening intently. When he finished his tale Felicity told him about the time she had spent with Raisa. She told him about the stories that they'd shared; the blackmail Raisa had given willingly just case Oliver got cheeky with her. It had broken the heavy mood that had fallen over them when Oliver laughed and nuzzled her cheek lightly.

They fell asleep with Felicity tucked under his chin, her face right by his collarbone and his arms around her. She felt safe there, warm. It felt right.

The following day, Oliver woke up first when Diggle knocked on his door lightly. Covering the ear not pressed against his chest he called John in. He entered quickly and his eyes widened slightly when he saw the position his boss was in. But he didn't voice his thoughts. He just told Oliver that it was past the time that he usually got up to go to the office, while looking down at his feet. Oliver told him they'd be leaving in a half an hour and to bring up some breakfast up for one. He'd even John to include a flower.

John didn't even flinch at the odd request from Oliver. He gave Oliver a nod before disappearing.

He'd never done this before but he felt like it was the right thing to do oddly enough, no matter how much he wanted to tuck his face into Felicity's hair and hide his face.

In the span of a day he was becoming a sap. But only for her.

Shifting a little he brushed Felicity's hair off her face. She was fast asleep on his chest, an arm thrown over his waist and her mouth slightly parted; warm breath brushing against his skin. She was a warm and comforting weight.

He couldn't believe what he'd done yesterday. What they'd said to each other. It was a step forward into something new and crazy. But it was the right step. She was something good, a light in all the darkness. And he wasn't going to lose her. He wouldn't.

Felicity mumbled something in her sleep and frowned, lips pursing. Oliver ran his fingers lightly through her hair in response and she relaxed back to sleep.

He'd never done this before, put his heart in anothers hands; her hands. And while a part of him knew that she felt the same, that she cared for him, another part was scared that she'd rebuke his feelings. Turn away from him for the way he had pushed her away just the day before. When she said those three words he felt all those doubts being flushed away and like he could fucking fly, like he could move mountains.

He wouldn't mess this up. This was too important. He would take care of her fragile heart as much as he knew that she would take care of his.

"Why are you awake?" Felicity groaned all of a sudden, turning her face into his neck and grumbling sleepily, "It's too early."

He huffed in laughter, her warm breath across his neck sending a shiver down his spine. This was a good way to wake up.

"It's past 10," he replied.

She just laid there not moving, "To early. Jet lag Oliver, it's a thing. Let's stay here all day. Blow off work."

He kissed the crown of her head, "As much as I would love that I've got some things to do today. John is bringing up breakfast for you while I get ready."

Felicity groaned, "John saw us like this?"

"Embarrassed of me already?" he teased.

"No, I'm just not sure John likes me."

He pulled her back, looking down at her face, "What do you mean?"

Felicity picked at his shirt for a moment before looking up at him hesitantly, "Exactly what I said. I don't think he likes me. Not in a mean way or anything. Just that he doesn't trust me."

"Do you really believe that?"

She nodded.

He leaned down and kissed her gently, "Give him time. It's his job to be wary. To watch out for me. Do you trust me?"

She didn't hesitate to say, "Yes."

Mouth still close to hers he said, "Then trust me when I say that he's getting there. What you did in Russia…the way you held your ground, he knows this. You've gained my trust, Sara's trust, hell even Roy's even though he doesn't talk as much. But Diggle, that takes time and you're getting there."

"Ok," Felicity replied, tipping her head and kissing him once more. He dragged her closer, arms wrapped around her and hands spanning her back.

Oliver set the pace, slow and steady; mouth telling her that everything that was said yesterday was true and still standing. Everything eased away when her mouth opened and he delved inside for a taste. They were just Oliver and Felicity at that moment. Nothing more.

A knock resounded throughout the room and they pulled apart abruptly. Oliver trailed his thumb over Felicity's pink panting mouth. His lips felt like they were tingling.

Trying to catch her breath Felicity boldly, at least for her, placed a kiss on his thumb. She enjoyed the way his eyes darkened and how his hands fisted her shirt.

"Behave," he growled lightly before detangling himself from her. She was unable to hold back a grin.

"Come in!" Oliver shouted. Felicity's eyes widened when John stepped in the room, tray in his hands.

Oliver pulled the comforter up to cover his growing erection. He caught sight of John's smirk as he settled the tray on the side table. John walked away quickly, sparing Felicity a raised and amused eyebrow.

When the door closed behind him Felicity grabbed the comforter and hid her face, "Oh god. He knows."

Oliver tugged the comforter down to see her eyes, "Are you ok with him knowing?"

"Knowing?"

"Knowing that this is real? That it's not just a ruse anymore. Are you ok with that?"

She pulled down the comforter completely and cupped his cheek. She could see the vulnerability in his eyes. "Of course," she began before a teasing smile grew across her face, "I don't place on hiding you like a sultry mistress or something."

Oliver shook with laughter as he pressed one last lingering kiss to her lips before pulling away and standing. He deposited the breakfast tray on Felicity's lap when she sat up. He preened when a sweet smile spread across her lips at the sight of the rose John had picked up. She ducked her head but he could see the blush.

She'd never been woken up like this and was thoroughly enjoying it. Rolling the stem of the flower between her fingers she watched as Oliver dressed for the day, "So…no morning run?"

"Unfortunately not," Oliver answered, pulling on some slacks. Felicity tried not letting her mouth drop. He was wearing black boxer briefs and they hung low on his hips. This wasn't like the other times. She could have all of that. She could touch him.

"That's a shame," she said, voice a bit breathy. Oliver cleared his throat and she realized she'd been caught looking.

Oliver chuckled as he buttoned up his shirt and headed over to the bathroom. He liked that she had eyes for him, "Roy and Sara are here though. They'd run with you."

Washing his face quickly he came back to the room to see Felicity half way through her pancakes. Quickly throwing on his jacket he looked through his suitcase to make sure he had everything. This felt domestic. Should he walk over and kiss her now goodbye or just wish her a good day before leaving. He was leaning towards the later when she spoke up.

"Well I guess I'll see you later. Sara and Digg…"

"Wait," Felicity cut him off, hand reaching out to him.

He walked back over to the bed and stood next to her. She tilted her head up to watch him. She looked nervous.

"I love you," spilled from her lips.

The words hit him just as hard as the first time yesterday. He wanted to smile like a love sick fool. Instead he took her face into his hands and kissed her soundly, "I love you too."

She smiled against his mouth and kissed him once more before pushing him away gently, "Now go. Before I tie you to this bed and tell John you're mine now."

Keeping his eyes locked with hers he backed away to the door and opened it. He grinned wickedly, "I am yours."

The way her face turned beet red before smiling stuck with him for the rest of the day.

* * *

Felicity felt better that morning than she had for a very long time. The sweet gestures of breakfast in bed, soft kisses, and declarations of love from Oliver were much more than she had ever expected. It was all new and exciting. And even through some small part of her was still afraid of getting hurt…she was blissfully happily. She'd found a home in Oliver. A sense of belonging that she hadn't felt in a very long time. And him, Sara, Roy and even Diggle had become part of her family.

Feeling more excited than she had in weeks, she quickly finished the breakfast that Oliver had asked to be brought to her, changed into her running gear and asked Sara and Roy to accompany her. For the next hour, the three of them ran around the manors perimeter, with Felicity surprisingly enough keeping up with the fast pace that Sara and Roy claimed to jog to every day. She had a feeling that this was a lie but didn't point it out.

She was drenched in sweat and her muscles burned when they finished, but she felt lighter and more relaxed. While Sara fetched them waters, Roy got a call and went off to the Glades to work on some issue or another, leaving her and Sara alone. After showering and getting dressed they spent the next few hours in the foundry; Felicity analyzing some new data her programs had found in her week in Russia and Sara working through some moves she wanted to teach Felicity later. They kept like that until a rumble from Felicity's stomach echoed off the walls of the foundry.

Sara let out a low whistle, "Someone is hungry."

"What can I say, I spent a lot of energy this morning," Felicity said without thinking, looking from her computer screen and freezing when she realized what she'd just said.

"Oh yeah, you seem very…energetic," Sara said with an arched eyebrow, and Felicity knew she had noticed something had changed between her and Oliver even without seeing them together. That they were not playing make believe anymore. That they were real.

Diggle probably told her.

"What gives you that idea?" Felicity said, turning back to her computer and trying to keep a poker face. She had told Oliver that she wouldn't hide him or be ashamed of him. She'd just never been good at the gossip bit about boys that accompanied female friendship.

"I don't know. Maybe the red mark on your collarbone or the beard burn across your neck," Sara said with a twinkle in her eyes, pointing to the skin exposed by her purple dress.

"What?" Felicity said, hand flying up to her neck, sure that there were no marks. Well any visible ones at least. She had checked. In fact she had double-checked with the concealer that Sara had taught her how to use. After all, Oliver seemed to like a particular spot the previous night before.

"Gotcha ya," Sara said with a laugh, twirling her staff, "So did Oliver actually man up? I'm surprised."

"It's complicated," Felicity said pushing her glasses up her nose – like she always did when she was nervous nowadays.

"With love it always is," Sara said with a warm tone. She knew him better than most people. Part of her had seen Oliver giving into Felicity's nature just as she had, "So, all of that happened in Russia?"

Felicity gave up messing with the computer and turned to Sara, "Something like that. I guess…I guess things have been building up for a while. They just exploded in Russia. It was like we couldn't hide what we felt anymore."

Sara hummed in understanding, "So, I guess the saying about what happens in Russia doesn't always stay in Russia."

"I guess not," Felicity said, laughing at the irony of Sara saying those words, when Felicity herself had used them to try to avoid putting her heart on the line for Oliver out of fear. "It's new. It was hard getting used to the idea before but now I…I'm Oliver Queen's girlfriend. Like his real kiss and watch movies together with cuddling."

"For real this time," Sara said with a large smile.

"For real." Felicity returned the smile, not being able to hold back the happiness that she felt every time she thought of Oliver. He was hers and she was his. It was real. No more pretending, no holding back. Felicity pointed at Sara, "And no telling Oliver that you know he knows how to cuddle."

Sara held up her hands in surrender, "Promise. I'm happy for you two. You both deserve to be happy. And you, Felicity…make him happy. Happier than I've ever seen him in the five years I've known him."

"Thank you, Sara," Felicity said, wishing that the distance between them were smaller. She felt like this type of occasion warranted hugging or something of the sort. It was important to her that Sara supported her relationship with Oliver; after all…she was her only female friend here. And not only that, she was part of Oliver's family.

"Can I just ask something of you?" Sara said, worry crossing her blue eyes, "As a friend of both of you."

Felicity brightened that her feelings towards Sara were returned but she worried at what Sara could ask.

"Sure."

"Be careful, ok?"

"Why do you say that?"

Sara tapped her staff against the ground before answering, "The Bratva is not known for letting people have their happy endings. I just want you to be careful. I don't want to see you getting hurt."

"Oliver wouldn't hurt me," Felicity assured and stepping over to the woman.

"He's not the one I'm worried about," Sara said, and just like that Anatoly flashed into Felicity's mind, leaving a nauseating feeling behind. Sara placed a comforting hand on Felicity's shoulder.

"I promise you, I'll be careful," Felicity said, biting her lower lip and placing a hand over the one on her shoulder.

"You know what? This is a happy time. It deserves some celebrating," Sara said brightly, changing the tone of the conversation as she stepped away to find some spare clothes in her locker.

Felicity watched in amusement as she took out a pair of pants, high-heeled boots and a blouse like it was a regular thing.

"Where are we going?" Felicity asked, as Sara quickly changed her clothes.

"To get the best sushi in Starling City."

* * *

"Oh my God! This is so good," Felicity whispered, moaning as the flavors danced on her tongue.

"I told you," Sara said while taking a drink.

"You know, I'm really surprised you can't use those," Felicity said, pointing to Sara's abandoned chopsticks that were held together by a small elastic. "I saw you throwing knifes with Roy the other day," Felicity continued, her voice low at the last part, "Chopsticks shouldn't be that difficult for you."

"What can I say? I can't be good at everything I do," Sara said with a smirk, taking a bite from her salmon sashimi.

"Still, you've got to admit it's surprising," Felicity said with a smile, hovering over the platter they had ordered before settling for the tuna sashimi. "I can teach if you like," Felicity offered.

"Trust me, I'm helpless. You aren't the first to try to help me with it."

"Sara! You still can't use your chopsticks I see," a warm voice said from behind them. They both turned their eyes to a tall brunette with tan skin and dark eyes. She was an exotic beauty.

"Nyssa," Sara said, a small smile forming on her lips as her body straightened and turned to Nyssa.

"I told you I needed to practice," Nyssa said, the flirtation in her tone clear, "After all, practice makes it perfect."

"Maybe I should give it another try then," Sara matched her tone, her own eyes gleaming with something that Felicity was certain of. Adoration. Passion.

"Nyssa Raatko," Nyssa said, holding out a hand to Felicity and introducing herself.

Felicity shook it, "Felicity Smoak."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Smoak," Nyssa said with a charming smile.

"Please call me Felicity. Ms. Smoak makes me feel like my mother."

Nyssa nodded in agreement. "Are you enjoying your food?" She asked, not hiding her amusement.

"Oh, it's amazing! I have to ask Oliver to bring us here for dinner sometime," she gushed.

"I will tell my father your kind words. I'm sure he will be pleased to hear them. And please, let me know when you and Mr. Queen plan to come back. I will make sure you get our best table," Nyssa said with an ease and kindness that made Sara brighten even more.

Felicity wasn't even that surprised that she knew she was Oliver's girlfriend. From the way that Sara reacted to Nyssa's presence they were close.

"Nyssa's family owns Nanda Parbat," Sara explained, pointing around them at the sleek yet welcoming restaurant.

"My father is Japanese, he is the _itamae_ or more commonly known as the chef of this place," Nyssa explained before tapping on the clipboard she was holding, "I'm the manager."

Felicity couldn't help popping another piece of sushi into her mouth, "Then definitely send him my compliments. This is the best Japanese restaurant I've ever been to."

"Thank you," Nyssa said with a large smile, eyes flickering to Sara for a beat, "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go back to work. It was really nice to meet you, Felicity."

"Nice to meet you too," Felicity said, waving her a slight goodbye as Nyssa began backing away.

"I hope to see you again, Sara," Nyssa said, her eyes shining as they locked with Sara's once more.

"You will," Sara promised with a smile watching as the beautiful brunette walked away from their table and went to check on another set of customers.

"Oh…my…God," Felicity said when Sara faced the table again. Sara seemed to be blushing. "That was intense," Felicity whispered conspiratorially, watching Sara try to hide her smile. "She is so into you. She wasn't even trying to hide it. Did you see how she backed up while giving you the eyes? She's the reason you chose Nanda Parbat for lunch, isn't it?"

"We're….actually seeing each other, casually," Sara said with a shrug as if it were no big deal.

Felicity could say with certainty now, that she knew Sara pretty well. Her friend was trying to hide something. She tried to act cool about it so she didn't scare Sara away, "Really? I didn't know that."

"It's new. We're just having some fun together," Sara said, poking at some sushi on her plate. She was happy. They both could see it.

"I don't know, she wasn't looking at you like you were just a hook up," Felicity teased with a large smile. She liked Nyssa. But most of all, she liked the way Sara smiled when Nyssa was around her.

"She's not the kind of woman that does hook ups. She's the candy hearts and flowers kind," Sara whispered, seeming lost in thought.

"And you're not? Candy hearts and flowers I mean," Felicity asked. As soon as Sara's face fell she knew they were bordering on issues from Sara's past and Bratva.

"I'm not supposed to," Sara whispered, her tone colder.

"Why do you say that?" Felicity asked, not liking how all the light seemed to fade from Sara's eyes.

"My line of work doesn't allow a lot of time for romance. Besides, Nyssa is a good woman. I don't want to get her involved with…the family business," Sara said, suddenly losing her appetite.

Felicity reached over and clasped Sara's hand lightly, "I think you of all people deserves to be happy. You've overcome so much in your life, Sara. You should fight for your happiness. And most of all fight for the person you want to be with. Fight for the person that makes it all worth it."

Sara returned the grip but said nothing.

* * *

After their lunch, Sara's mood darkened, and she closed herself off. When they got back to the foundry Sara immediately changed into workout gear, and spent the next few hours at the training station; without a doubt trying to distract her mind from the things that Felicity had told her.

Felicity felt bad for pushing Sara, but she wanted her to be happy and Sara was a lot like Oliver in that aspect. They both feared getting hurt and tainting their loved ones with the Bratva. They feared risking their lives, in turn making it harder for them to be with their loved ones. And while Oliver and Felicity seemed to have found a balance that allowed them to be together, even if it was brand spanking new, Sara didn't seem ready to risk it all and find out if she could be happy with her loved one.

Feeling helpless at not being able to help her friend, Felicity decided to focus on doing what she did best. She decided to work. The laptop in front of her…it felt like ages since she'd touched it. The last memories she had of working on her old computer were wrapped with fear; her shaking body sitting in that cold tub in that dingy hotel…trying to figure out where to go. How to save herself. And it had brought her here.

"You can do this," Felicity muttered to herself as she slipped her fingers under the lid of the laptop and slid it open. She took a deep breath and tried not to cry at the thought of her friends, her family. She would do this for them.

She powered the laptop up.

For the next few hours it was like a blast from an old life as she analyzed the operation that had cost the life of her friends. She went step by step: she examined the algorithm she and Sin had designed to crack the firewall that protected the Triads overall system; she looked over all the codes and programs that Chuck and Rory used to overload the system so that Cooper's virus could access the accounts they would steal money from. It all looked like it always did, meticulous, a combinations of their skills that resulted in brilliant strings of code, numbers and algorithms. They always prided themselves at the quality of their work. Yet, this one hadn't been perfect. And it had cost them their lives.

She didn't even notice when Sara stepped out for a bit and returned with coffee.

Her head was pounding after the first hours. Her eyes starting to burn as frustrated tears started to form. She couldn't figure out what they had done wrong. What could have led the Triad right to their door? With a frustration sigh, she pulled her glasses off and pressed the heel of her hands against her eyes. Felicity took a deep breathe, trying to control her anger. When she opened them again she was calmer, more collected but barely.

She needed to look at things from a different angle.

Pulling Cooper's virus up again – the one he was so proud of – she tried to look for anything different from his usual mode of coding. Maybe he'd changed something last minute. She was about to give up when she caught sight of a small line of code in the middle of it. A small code. A broken code with markers that would leave a trail behind. It was something she'd never considered before but Cooper had changed his virus right before they had implemented.

It was Cooper's fault.

"Oh God," she whispered, her hand moving to cover her mouth as the reality of it all hit her. Her breath started to come fast.

"Are you ok?" Diggle said from across the room. When she didn't answer he came to stand beside her, a surprising look of worry filling his dark eyes.

She stood frozen. Shocked. She couldn't believe it was a small code. It was a huge mistake. She should have looked over Cooper's virus one more time before implicating it. She could have stopped it; could have prevented all their deaths. It was all her fault.

"Hey," Diggle said, moving to hold her arms and bring her attention back to him. "Whatever you read on that screen, whatever you think you did, whatever you're blaming yourself for, it's not true."

"What?" she asked, confused. She must have been talking aloud.

"I know what it feels like to think you're responsible for others. I know what it feels like to think you failed at not protecting the people you cared about. To not be able to prevent something you knew you could have stopped if you had another chance," Diggle said as she looked down, ashamed. He ducked down to catch her eyes, "But you can't blame yourself for something you had no control over."

"But I did! I could have saved my friends. If I had paid enough attention maybe…"

"Felicity," he hissed lightly, stopping her in her tracks, "What happened to your friends is not your fault."

Taking a steading breath she tried to ground herself. "I know I'm not the one that made the mistake, I know that Diggle," she said as he let go of her arms and took a step back, giving her space, "But I could have said no to that stupid plan. But I didn't. I didn't fight it when my instinct told me it was a terrible idea in the first place. I had this feeling…this feeling Diggle that something was going to go wrong. But I didn't listen to it."

"You're not the first person to feel like that," Diggle reasoned. He took pause for a second before continuing, "I felt the same way about my brother."

Felicity wiped at her face with the back of her hands, "Your brother?"

"Andy was my younger brother. He was a good man. But he ended up messing around with the wrong people. I tried to make him change his mind. Change the kind of people he wanted to do business with. That money wasn't worth it if he was dead. But he wouldn't listen to me. He thought he was smart enough to work with those people and not get hurt. In the end it killed him. He was killed by a member of the Triad five years ago."

"I'm sorry, Diggle," Felicity said sympathetically. This was the most honest Diggle had been with her since her arrival and she wasn't sure what to say, "I didn't know."

He looked as tongue-tied as she felt at their sharing, "Thank you."

"So that's…why you work with Oliver. Why you stay when you clearly don't approve of the Bratva business. You, just like Oliver, like me…want the same thing."

"Yes. We all want to take the Triad down. Oliver and I have been trying for years, but they seem immune to all our attempts. Until you and your friends hit them."

"And we paid the price for it. The Triad took us down and got away with it."

"Yes. But you also showed us they are vulnerable. There are flaws we can take advantage of. But most of all, we can ruin then without getting our hands dirty. Without paying the price for going against Anatoly's orders."

"I don't know how, Digg," she said, emotionally exhausted, "I don't know how we're going to do it."

"You'll figure it out, Felicity," Diggle said with an encouraging smile that tore down every assumption she had about the man. Her eyes trailed him as he then walked away to the area where Sara was once again punching a training dummy, seemingly ignorant of the conversation that Felicity and Diggle had just seconds before.

"How do you know?" she asked him, making him turn around to look at her. His eyes were still calculating but somehow softer than before.

"Because I trust you will. I have faith in you," Diggle said, the word 'now' clear in his words, "We're a team, family, we have to keep believing in each other, even when we don't believe ourselves."

Something loosened inside of her at the affirmation.

* * *

To hear that Diggle believed in Felicity instilled a sense of confidence in her; erasing her fears and removing a weight from her heart. The confidence he seemed to have in her fuelled her desire to figure out how to crack the Triads system once again. She hunkered down and continued studying the codes and notes she had done on her computer at the time of the heist, trying to find a better way to hack them. She wasn't making much progress, but she knew that fixing the virus that Cooper had created was the first step.

The sound of the foundry alley door opening made Felicity look towards the staircase where Roy was walking down followed by Oliver. She smiled.

"Hey, did you guys deal with the mess in the Glades?" Diggle asked them.

"The situation is under control," Oliver said, removing his jacket.

"You leave for a week, and the wolves descend," Roy said with a smirk.

Oliver rolled his eyes at him, "No one will dare go against The Crows orders. The Bratva will stay away from the Glades and the mess that the Triad and the Italians are causing there. We don't need to bring more attention to us. Specially to our operation."

"They're fools, going in like that. The cops are having the time of their lives," Roy said.

"Yeah, my dad is pretty pissed. He and his partner went to one of their raids, and his partner was shot by one of China White's men. His best friend is in the ICU. He won't stop until he finds something to put that woman away," Sara said, walking over to where they were all talking.

The smile on her face dimmed at the mention of China White.

"Good, we need all the help we can get to bring the Triad down," Oliver agreed, his eyes finding Felicity's at her desk. She fidgeted slightly in place. There was a hint of adoration in his gaze, "We've got to keep our eyes open. Now more than ever."

"Whatever you say boss," Roy said before pulling Diggle and Sara into a conversation about how to tighten security around Verdant while the situation with the Triad and the Italians was brought under control.

Oliver strode towards Felicity. She seemed off for some reason, a very different look from the happy and relaxed woman he had left in bed this morning. Something was wrong.

"Hi," he whispered, hesitating for a second before softly pecking her on the lips. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I just had a hard day," she answered, taking his hand, happy to have him here with her.

"Anything I can help you with?" he asked, softly running his right hand through her long blond hair.

"You already are," she smiled, as he gently tipped her head back where she sat and kissed her one more time, this time the kiss a little longer and deeper. For a second, they almost forgot they weren't alone. Someone cleared their throat and they jumped apart slightly.

"Behave," Felicity whispered against his lips, pecking him on the lips before pulling away and leaning back into her chair, "We're in the middle of the foundry with three other people. PG-13 for now."

"It's your own fault for being irresistible," Oliver said, glancing over her purple dress. She looked gorgeous in it.

"Are you always this charming?" she teased.

Oliver smirked, "Only on Wednesdays."

"Oliver, why Wednesdays?" she said laughing.

He shrugged, dropping a kiss on top of her head, "Only with you." He turned back to the staring Sara, Roy and Diggle and raised a daring eyebrow as if challenging them to say something. They turned away quickly.

"They are staring the whole time?" she whispered, covering her face with her hands. Roy, Diggle and Sara were staring at them. Not in disapproval, but with a slight mocking curiosity. After all, who would guess that Oliver and Felicity would get involved, for real this time?

Taking her hand he lifted her from the seat and pulled her close, an inch of space between them and his hand holding her waist. "Let them stare," Oliver said, running his thumb over the light blush on the apple of her cheek.

"You don't play fair," she admonished, leaning into his hand with a hum. She loved his touch.

"I never said I did," Oliver said, tenderly kissing her up once more before asking, "Go out with me?"

Her face scrunched up in confusion, "What?"

"Go out on a date with me," he repeated, bridging that last inch and pressing his warm body against hers. Her eyes caught his lips, "Friday night. You and me. Like regular people."

"I doubt think regular people are shot in expensive restaurants on their first date," she said absentmindedly.

"Then it's good we're not going to one," his voice deepened at the end as his fingers moved how her neck. She felt a little shiver wash over her and her hands clench into his jacket.

"And where are we going then?" she asked in a mix of curiosity and excitement.

Oliver clicked his tongue, "Is that a yes, Ms. Smoak?"

"Yes, Mr. Queen. As long as there are no bullets flying in our direction or explosions happens," she teased back as she waved his question away, "Now where are we going?"

"Demanding," Oliver growled, pressing a hard kiss against her mouth as if punishing her laughing mouth, "There will be bullets. There will be explosions. Just none that can hurt you."

Felicity narrowed her eyes playfully, "I'm kind of really excited and kind of scared at the look on your face right now. Still broody but like you're planning something. Your explanation doesn't help."

She thought he was going to kiss her mouth again but he surprised her with a final kiss on the forehead. She closed her eyes. The gesture was sweet and another shift in their wildly changing relationship.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of you."

* * *

Felicity had been slightly nervous the rest of the week. Only slightly. She had tried to focus her energy into her research and the new algorithm she was going to use to power Cooper's virus and correct the code that had been broken. But she couldn't stop thinking about her date with Oliver. While they had been sleeping together for some time now – as in actual sleeping, all clothes on, all very platonic – their relationship seemed to progress each day. They had gotten a lot closer ever since they had come back from Russia, and she loved getting to know this other side of Oliver during whispered conversations in bed or late dinners. It was refreshing to see him smile so much.

Being in a new relationship lead to new rules as well. After Diggle caught them making out against her work desk when Oliver was supposed to be at QC, they had been trying to respect the space of the foundry and their friend's space. Their companions were all happy for their new relationship, as long as they kept the PDA to a minimum. Something that had been easier to say than to actually do when everything was so fresh, new, and enticing about each other.

Oliver had been mysterious about what they were going to do on their date as well. The only hints that he'd given her were that she should go with a casual look and that he would pick her up at seven, on Friday night. Sara, feeling sorry for her, decided to help her out and take her dress and shoe shopping the afternoon of their date. She even helped her choose makeup and taught her how to curl her hair. Felicity knew that Sara was staling for her sake; they both could be doing more important things than picking an outfit for her date with Oliver. Yet they spent hours looking through her closet, while Felicity rambled about the most random stuff and Sara listened; trying to calm her down by distracting her with different options.

Around seven, Felicity was impeccably dressed in a casual silk-chiffon dress. It fell a little above her knees, in a mix of blues, grey, black and white. She had paired it with high-heeled strappy sandals that she was proud to say she'd gotten used to walking in. They had completed the look by letting her hair loose and curling around her face.

"Ok, I'm ready," Felicity muttered excitedly, moving her hand down her dress and bouncing slightly.

"You look great, Felicity. Oliver won't know what hit him."

"Thank you, Sara," Felicity said with a small smile. "I don't know what I would do without you," she admitted as Sara's phone started to beep with an incoming text. Sara immediately smiled while reading it, making Felicity's curiosity peak.

"Well, well. It looks like you're not the only one that scored a hot date tonight," Sara said with a large smile, tapping away quickly at her phone.

"Nyssa?" Felicity asked with a suggestive grin. She liked Nyssa. And she knew how much Sara liked her.

"Yep," Sara said while typing. She laughed at something else that popped up on her phone before pocketing it, "I've got go. I'm…meeting her in an hour."

"Tell me all about it tomorrow," Felicity said as Sara walked towards the bedroom door.

"Who says I will be here tomorrow morning?" Sara shot back with a smirk, opening the door only to find Oliver on the other side. "Now you two kids don't do anything I wouldn't do." They switched spots, Sara walking out and Oliver stepping inside.

Felicity stood by the bed while Oliver smiled lovely at her, holding a single rose in his hand. He looked handsome even in jeans and a casual long sleeve shirt.

"You look stunning," he said, slowly coming towards her. He softly pecked her painted lips while handing her the rose.

"And you will end up ruining your mother's garden like this," she said with a small laugh, pulling Oliver down for another kiss, this one longer and involving a hint of tongue. "But I loved it. Thank you," she said, stroking the soft rose petals.

"Do you have everything you need?" Oliver asked her while she put the rose in a small vase; next to the one he had given her a few days ago.

"Yes, I just need to grab my bag."

"You should grab a coat as well."

"Oliver, it's hot. I don't need a coat."

"I saw in the weather forecast it would get colder later on tonight."

"You sound like a mother hen, I will be fine," she said stubbornly, "Plus I don't see you wearing a coat?"

With a roll of his eyes, Oliver gave in and took Felicity's hand into his and walked them out to the garage. The large garage held some familiar and not so familiar vehicles. She recognized the large Audi SUV that Diggle normally used, the Bentley, and a Mercedes that Oliver normally liked to use when they were going out. There was also a large dark motorcycle in a corner and a shiny black sporty Audi R8, which seemed to be there choice for tonight. Oliver opened her door for her before coming around to get in.

"Nice car," Felicity commented as Oliver slid into the drivers seat. The interior was dark, sleek and exuded power. This was certainly a car he would drive.

"Thank you," he said, turning the car on. Oliver ran a hand over the dash, not hiding his love for his expensive car, "She's my baby."

"She?" Felicity asked with a small laugh, "Boys and their toys".

"Oh baby, you have no idea," Oliver whispered, his voice filled with promises as they pulled out. He'd never used the term 'baby' with her like that. Hell no one had. She liked it…a lot.

They rode out towards the center of Starling City's nightlife scene. Instead of pulling into somewhere fancy and getting a valet as expected, Oliver parked in the back of a large building. When he helped Felicity out of the car she looked around in wonder, trying to figure out where they where. She had no idea.

"Oliver, what are we doing here?"

"You'll see," he said, pulling out a leather jacket from the back seat with a smug smile and removing a small piece of fabric from its pocket, "Do you trust me?"

"What are you doing?" Felicity bit her lip, worried for a second. She, like many others, didn't like being led somewhere without her sight.

"I don't want to spoil the surprise," he said, moving towards her with what she recognized now as a small scarf, "Can I cover your eyes, please?"

Felicity liked to be able to study her surroundings, to notice every detail around her. She didn't want to be deprived of being able to react quickly. But she could see in Oliver's eyes how much he wanted to surprise her. She would trust him, even though she wasn't a 100% comfortable with it.

"Ok," she whispered. He raised his hands slowly and wrapped the scarf over her eyes, blocking her view.

"Do you see anything?" he asked waving his hands up and down in front of her face.

She shook her head, "Nope."

Oliver held her hands and they started to walk away slowly.

She could hear a door being opened and they walked inside a building that was strangely quiet. They walked for a few more minutes, turning down two hallways. When Oliver stopped she felt the cold air prickling over her skin.

"Are you ready?" he asked her, the excitement clear in his voice.

"Yes," she whispered as he smoothly removed the scarf from her eyes.

It took her eyes a second to focus. They were in a dark room that smelled like popcorn and it was empty. The lights suddenly turned up a bit, letting Felicity know exactly where they were.

"Oh my god," she gasped, looking around the empty theater, "Did you rent this place for us?"

"I told you I owned you a calm date. This one just happens to involve a nice movie and some food," Oliver teased, moving to wrap his arms around her from behind, "Did you like it?"

"I love it!" she proclaimed, not wanting to move from his hold. This was more her taste. Somewhere nice where they could enjoy a movie while eating overpriced candy. It warmed her heart that he knew that she would love it. She looked at him over her shoulder, "What are we going to watch?"

"Something I'm pretty sure you're going to love."

* * *

They end up watching Kingsman: The Secret Service – to Felicity's utter joy as she loved Colin Firth. Also there were the promised explosions and shooting. Except this time oddly enough it was of peoples heads.

"You know," Felicity began as they left the theater and made there way to the car, "I continue to gain an appreciation for men in suits."

Oliver opened the car door for her, "Is that so?"

She waited until he got in, "Yeah. Did you see Colin Firth? I mean, even though he did kill a lot of people in that church he was hot while doing it. Not many men can truly be hot like that."

He could hear the challenge in her words, "Oh is that so?"

"Yup," she said casually, popping the 'p' at the end, "Admit it. You liked Colin. Especially the part in the bar."

"Well I guess you're right. Who can compete with Colin Firth? I've got nothing on him," Olive teased in a put out voice as he turned on the car.

For the next twenty minutes or so they continued to discuss the movie, Felicity barely even noticing that they had pulled off and were driving through Starling. Oliver smiled at her rambling, enjoying how relaxed and happy she looked, like she hadn't been through so much in her life. But Felicity was just like that. She was the light that shined in the darkest of places.

They parked in front of a new place in downtown. The modern architecture of the place with wide glass walls and ultra-modern furniture showed it was an expensive place, the kind that only the rich would find themselves in.

Oliver helped Felicity out of the car, wrapping her in his dark leather jacket, since it had gotten a bit nippy. Felicity couldn't take her eyes off the large windows and what lay beyond them.

"Oliver, I thought we had popcorn for dinner," she teased him, reminding of the huge amounts of buttered popcorn they had during the movie. She was probably going to avoid it for some time now, as she was popcorned out, "I can't have dinner after all of that."

"Who said anything about dinner?" he said, pressing her to his side, hot mouth running his lips over her ear. "This is desert," he said with a smile when he felt her shiver and not from the cold.

Taking her hand he led her forward into the ultramodern bistro. With white walls and hardwood floors, it was a small and yet gorgeous place. Keeping in line with its modern style, it had abstract paintings on the walls, white small square tables that sat right next to the glass wall, and a large dark stone counter with dark stone that ran the opposite side of the room.

"Oliver," Felicity said in surprised awe, patting his chest as if to get him to look at all that she was seeing. People are eating some sort of ice cream.

"Welcome to _Bella Roma_ the best _gelateria_ in Starling City, baby," he whispered against her hair, while she seemed to practically salivate at the sight of the frozen treats behind a class wall at the dark counter. There were so many flavors.

"I can't believe you're taking me to get ice-cream. Well gelato technically. I love gelato," she said happily as Oliver brought them closer together, faces inches apart.

"Well, I promised you I'd take you to Italy didn't I? I may not be able to take you there right now, but I can bring some of Italy to you."

"It's perfect!" she said excited. Head tipping back and pressing a warm kiss to his lips. Mouth still against his lips she said, "Thank you."

"You welcome," he said kissing her back, "Now let's get some. I'll kiss you afterwards to see if the taste sticks."

She accepted that challenge willingly.

They were led to a small table in a corner of the parlor where they softly talked and waited for their waiter. Oliver asked the waiter to bring them the house special and two bottles of sparkling water.

The house special ended up being a mix of flavors that let you taste the many special flavors they had. Between bites of_Fragola_ (strawberry) and one of _Cioccolato _(chocolate)_,_ Oliver finally got the guts to ask a question that had been driving him crazy for the past few weeks.

"So, you never speak about Las Vegas, about home," Oliver said, taking a bite of his _Liquirizia _(liquorice), "Is there a reason for that?"

Felicity looked up sharply, "Well that's a bit heavy talk for gelato."

"Sorry I…"

Felicity looked down at her spoon filled with what she guessed was _Frutti di bosco _(mixed berries), "No, you can ask. There's just not much to say about it_._"

"What about your family?" Oliver asked her. He knew her mother had raised her but he knew of no other family. Hell she had barely mentioned her mother, a frown always passing her face before she distracted him with another topic during their nighttime talks.

"Well…I grew up in Vegas. My mom was…is a cocktail waitress, as you know. My father left us when I was little and I have no memories of him. My mom was always divided between long hours at work and the new boyfriend of the month. So I spent a lot of time on my own growing up," she confessed. She felt bare revealing this part of herself. Oliver dropped his spoon and reached across the table to hold her hand; an anchor.

"That sounds hard," Oliver said sympathetically, knowing exactly how it felt to feel like you're completely alone. He never wanted her to feel like that again.

"Not as hard as being raised in Moscow," she countered, the reference to Bratva clear in her words. She used her spoon to point at him, "Eat your gelato before it melts."

Oliver switched hands so one was still holding hers. He scooped up a bit of _Amarena_ (cherry) gelato, "I guess we both have had complicated childhoods. I had Raisa though, no matter how bad things got, I still had her. Did you have anyone?"

"I had the Watsons," Felicity said, smiling at the memory of them.

"You mean the people that used to make letter pancakes with you after The X-Files?" Oliver asked her. The smile that bloomed on her face at the mention of the memory spilled over onto him.

"Yes…they were an elderly couple that lived down the hall from my apartment. They would look after me from time to time when I was a child. They were the closest thing to a normal family that I've ever had."

"They seem like really good people."

"They were," she said, her smile dimming a little, "They'd like you."

He read between the lines. They'd both passed away. Running his thumb over the back of her hand he said, "I am sorry, Felicity."

"It's ok, they were amazing. They loved me like I was part of their family. And it's because of them that I turned into the person that I am today, sunny disposition and everything," she said, smile returning full force, "Actually it was Mr. Watson that got me into tech."

"Really? So an old man is the one responsible for you being one of the best hackers out there," he said, whispering the last part so only she could hear, "He'd be proud."

She guffawed, "Oh no! He would be horrified if he knew…but I think he would be proud that I wanted to help people. Even though he wouldn't agree with my methods."

To think…if Mr. Watson hadn't been in her life…had inspired her love for technology, maybe they wouldn't be here right now. Both knew it.

"I'm glad you had them."

"Me too. I mean…if wasn't for them I probably would have ended up just like my mother," she said, lifting one shoulder in a half shrug.

She was presenting him another opening and he took it, "You never talk about her. Nothing besides that she would love your blonde hair."

Felicity popped another spoonful of gelato in her mouth, mulling over how to explain Donna Smoak without delving to deep and opening old wounds. "My mom…is my mom…she's as complicated as they come. She doesn't mean harm, I know she loves me in her own way, but she never put me first. I mean, she made sure that I was fed, clothed, had a roof over my head. But she wasn't there for me emotionally, you know. I felt like she was always picked others over me, primarily men. And when I got older, we just grew apart even more. It was like we barely knew each other," she said, moving her spoon around her plate absentmindedly, "I haven't seen her since I left for M.I.T seven years ago."

"I'm sorry, Felicity," Oliver whispered, "I wish you didn't have to deal with all of that."

"It's ok, Oliver. I think I did pretty well in the end." she joked, trying to change the subject as she gave him a not so subtle once over.

He grinned lightly before looking down at his plate. He kind of felt like it was the right moment to share a piece of himself in return. "I always wondered how things could have been if my family hadn't died when I was a kid," Oliver said looking down at the melted ice-cream on his plate, "What could have happened if my parents were alive? Would I have joined the brotherhood? Or would I be the Queen Consolidated vice-president while my father worked as CEO? Would I be at QC at all? What would Thea look like? Would we all be happy? What would my life be like if Anatoly hadn't raised me?"

Felicity put down her spoon and took his hand in both of hers. He was sharing big part of himself, "I'm sure that your parents would be proud, no matter what."

"I'm not so sure about that," Oliver said. He was pretty sure both his parents would be disgusted with the person he had become, even though his father was involved with The Bratva.

"No, Oliver. You made sure that QC expanded. That your families business would keep being a success. You made sure that all of those people that worked at QC had a future, Oliver. That is something to be proud of. You did right by the Queen name," Felicity said, tightening her hold on his hand while shaking her head.

"Thank you for saying that," he whispered, bringing his other hand on top of their joined hands, caressing her knuckles with the tips of his fingers.

"It's the truth," she assured, eyes shining with the love she felt for him. He had shared something monumental with her, "You even tried to blackmail someone aka me to make sure that they were safe. Kind of twisted but that sounds like a good man to me."

Oliver laughed.

He was about to reply, when he saw the familiar face of Tommy Merlyn, his childhood friend. He was arm in arm with his fiancée and was walking towards them. Oliver tensed up, holding Felicity's hand tighter against his own. Felicity looked over shoulder sharply in response and saw the approaching couple.

"Oliver Queen!" Tommy said with a large smile, stopping next to their table.

"Tommy Merlyn," Oliver said, detangling his hands from Felicity's and shaking Tommy's hand in a friendly manner.

"It's been so long since the last time we saw each other. I almost thought you had disappeared," Tommy said as Laurel stood silently next to him. She barely looked at him.

"I've been busy with the company; you know how it is. All those board meetings, business trips, mergers and acquisitions. Barely eat dinner most days," Oliver said with a shrug. He and Tommy used to party together when Oliver came back to Starling City after spending fifteen years in Russia. It served Oliver well to be seen beside Tommy - the billionaire partying heir duo – it served to strengthen his disguise so no one would suspect Oliver's involvement with Bratva. But as soon as Tommy and Laurel started to date Oliver felt out of place, especially when it came to Sara and her estranged family. He liked Tommy's company, but things between them felt off kilter after that. And in a way Oliver was relieved by it – because to let someone outside Bratva be his friend, was to put that person in danger – and Oliver couldn't risk the Bratva ruining Tommy's life like it did with him. It had been a few years since they had seen each other besides in business meeting and charity's galas.

"Oh I know. The terrible life of us millionaires," Tommy said sarcastically with a dramatic sigh on top, making both Felicity and Laurel laugh, "I'm Tommy by the way."

"Felicity Smoak," she said, shaking his offered hand. This person was close to Oliver. Someone from his past. She put on her most disarming smile, the one she'd used before when this was still a ruse, "Nice to meet you."

"Enchanted," he said with his million-dollar smile. Felicity's eyes widened slightly and she didn't know if was going to kiss her hand or something. He was so polite. "This is my fiancé, Laurel Lance," Tommy said, introducing the beautiful brunette that stood next to him.

"Pleasure," Laurel said, offering her hand to Felicity.

"Lance? Like as in Sara Lance?" Felicity asked, shocked as she and Laurel shook hands.

"The one and only. Sara is my baby sister," Laurel said with a small smile.

"So you're the sister that likes to play dress up," Felicity blurted out before she could think about it.

Laurel gave a pleased nod, "Yeah."

"You have no idea how much this one likes to play dress up. All kinds of dress up," Tommy said with a smile, making Felicity flush and Laurel slapped him on the shoulder.

"Tommy, behave!" Laurel said, looking just as flustered as Felicity at his double meaning in words, "Don't listen to this one Felicity. Tommy is just like that"

"Boys will be boys," Felicity said making Laurel smile at her. She tipped her chin at Oliver, "I've got this one to deal with too."

"So, you two are looking cozy. We didn't interrupt a date, did we?" Tommy asked with a boyish smile that made Felicity feel strangely comfortable around him. No wonder Oliver was friends with him, even if distant ones.

"Kinda," Felicity replied when Oliver didn't answer. He didn't know how to do this with Tommy after not talking for so long.

"I'm so sorry, we were just about to get our_Stracciatella_ cones and head home," Laurel said as she and Tommy exchanged a look. Tommy smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah we better go," Tommy said, as he put a hand on Laurel's lower back and stepped back. "But you know, we should all have dinner some time. Catch up," Tommy said with a hopeful tone.

"Absolutely," Oliver said with a smile that was a little too wide. He missed Tommy but going to dinner with him was something that he couldn't do.

By the look that gave him she knew that something wasn't right.

"Ok, we'll let you two finish your date. It was really nice meeting you Felicity," Tommy said with a smile as he shifted again and took Laurel's hand and walked towards the counter to order.

"You too," she said, waving goodbye and ignoring the trails of tension that left with Tommy and Laurel.

Oliver watched as the young couple picked up their gelato and happily enjoyed each other's company. They paid for it and quickly walked out of the parlor.

"Hey, you ok?" Felicity asked him, worried.

"Yeah," Oliver said, lightly scratching at his stubble before going back to eating his gelato as if nothing happened.

"Is Tommy your friend?" Felicity asked almost timidly.

"Not really."

"He seems really nice. I liked him."

"He is a good man," Oliver simply said shortly.

She knew Oliver would never admit what she was going to ask next, but she went for it, "He's what you were talking about, isn't he? He's what you thought you could be, if your family was still alive?"

"Tommy is a good man."

"But he's not your friend? Why? He clearly seems to care about you."

"We used to party together a few years ago. Then he started dating Laurel and I didn't have time nor the desire to continue…whatever we had. I do like Tommy's company, but lead very different lives. We're business associates now. Nothing more," Oliver said with a pointed look. It was too much of a shock to see him here when he was with Felicity. It was like two parts of his life clashing together and he wanted to drop it.

"Oliver…"

"Felicity – let's enjoy our night, just let it go please," he pleaded.

Felicity picked up her spoon again and continued eating her gelato, "Ok."

Oliver eyed her for a second, hating that he'd made this awkward when it'd been going so well. "I'd pick you, you know," he blurted out.

She looked surprised and a little touched, "What?"

"You mom," he began, referring back to what Felicity had said about her mother, "If I had to choose I'd pick you over anyone. Well…besides Colin Firth."

The awkwardness was swept away as she laughed. Her hand reached across the table and he met her halfway, lacing her fingers with his, "Me too. Colin Firth always comes first."

* * *

Felicity beamed, pleased at the way things were going. They had returned to the mansion and were just over the threshold of their room when an idea came to mind.

She turned and made Oliver stop in the open doorway, "So are we going to follow the rules of the first official date and kiss. Then I leave you out here to return to your place. And no coffee. That doesn't happen on the first date. It's a gateway drink that leads to sleeping together. Not that we haven't been sleeping together. I mean sleeeeping together."

Oliver took her hands and stepped into her space. Her rambles had always been sudden and charming, "No coffee? Shame. The night was going so well."

She would deny it to the end of her days but she giggled lightly at his words and shook her head, "Nope. What kind of girl do you think I am?"

He leaned in close as if it were a secret and whispered, "Mine."

Slowly he pulled away, nose grazing her cheek before holding in place there in front of her. When she licked her lips Oliver's eyes zeroed in on him. He'd let her take lead.

Her hands came up, fingers and eyes searching across his face. He was hers. And that set something off in her.

She used her touch to pull him down and press his lips to hers. They were warm and soft. Turning his head he deepened the kiss while prompting her to take a step back into the room. She didn't even notice when the door closed behind them, lost in him and his wide hands that spanned her back.

When the back of her knees hit the bed Oliver had already divested her of his jacket. She tumbled backwards, taking Oliver with her. They bounced a little on the bed for a second.

Felicity faintly laughed against his neck, "Well that was smooth."

He took the opportunity to begin placing kisses along her neck before trailing up to her mouth, "Clumsy one aren't you?"

She raised an eyebrow at the heated look in his eyes, "You like it?"

"You have no idea," was his response before they began kissing once more. He felt like his body was thrumming with pleasure when he touched her lips, her waist, her skin. Just the idea of something so simple turning him on made him harden in his slacks.

Eventually he shifted over her until he was straddling one of her thighs, pressing himself against her there while pressing his thigh against her center. He wanted to make her feel good. "Is this ok?" he asked against her lips, stopping any and all movement.

"What?"

He signaled between them with his eyes. She visibly swallowed before nodding, "Yeah. I'm ok with it."

She pulled his mouth against hers once more.

They began rocking their hips against each other slowly, trying to find a rhythm and an angle that worked for them so both felt the pleasure of each others touch in tandem with their lips. Eventually they found it. Oliver's clothed cock dragged up her thigh with just enough pressure to put him on the tracks to a quick orgasm. Since she was wearing a dress Felicity's skirt moved up until her clothed clit was against Oliver's thigh. It was creating the most delicious friction.

Wanting to change things up Felicity gave an experimental rough thrust up, her clothed center pressing up against his thigh, and his against hers. When his mouth opened in a gasp she took the initiative and pressed her tongue inside. She'd never felt so free with him. With anyone really.

They continued to grind against each other as their tongues swirled, teasing and glided against each other. His fingers burned a trail as they moved from her hip to cradle her neck.

She felt her orgasm rising, pooling down deep in her stomach with every thrust. Every grind. She felt her heart racing and her toes curling.

He pulled his mouth away so he hovered about an inch over her. She moved up to kiss him again but Oliver held her back. Her eyes finally came into focus on his face as their lower bodies continued rutting against one another.

Felicity hissed when he brought up his thigh a little more and circled her mound.

"Are you close?" he whispered, determined to make her come. She nodded and Oliver nipped her lip, "Talk to me Felicity?"

Curling her fingers she dragged them down his back, eliciting a moan from him, "I'm close."

"Can I touch you Felicity?" he asked, moving his hand down her collarbone and over her chest.

Her eyes became even darker when his hand surpassed her breast, eyes telling her that he wouldn't touch her without her permission. Still keeping a hold on his back with one hand she grasped his hand and guiding it to her breast. He palmed it gently at first; matching the rhythm they had started with. In no time he was matching the same speed of their current thrusts; rough with a teasing nature.

She wanted these clothes off. His hot hands branding her skin and making her feel shaky and flushed all over.

Sparks began in her toes and her hips began stuttering in their rocking, eventually losing their pace. Oliver kept a hold of her and brought her through her orgasm, holding her shivering body close as their kisses became sloppy. He felt hazy and breathless when he followed right after and came against her thigh, his boxer briefs becoming soaked in his come.

Time didn't really stop. It only felt that way when he looked down at her…when she looked at him.

He braced his arms next to her head and relaxed his body against hers, body loose and relaxed. Pressing gentle wet kisses over her jaw, he tried to catch his breath.

Felicity hummed in approval. She felt protected here with him; warm, comfortable, breathless.

"I've never done that?" he panted, warm breath rolling over her skin and making her tremble.

She ran her hands up his back, "What?"

He leaned back slightly, looking happy and quite frankly surprised, "Come in my pants. Never done that."

Felicity smirked, "Ohhh!"

Oliver flopped down next to her with a groan. He covered his face in embarrassment. He could hear the shuffling of her pushing her dress back down before she poked him in the arm. He peeked at her through his fingers. She looked relaxed with a touch of apprehension.

"If it makes you feel better I've never done…all of that." Felicity motioned at all of the length of her. For some reason it made her feel giddy inside that she wasn't the only one doing and experiencing new things.

He held out his arm in silent invitation and she tucked herself into his side, both content.

"Shouldn't we get out of these clothes?"

He shook in silent laughter, "Well…if you wanna go for round two. But I think it's a little too soon for that. We haven't even had coffee yet."

Realizing what she'd said she turned her face into chest. It was thrilling to have him tease her like that during private moments such as this, but that didn't stop her from feeling a bit embarrassed by her rambling mouth, "You know what I mean."

"I know," he replied, running a comforting hand through her hair. He was completely relaxed and honestly he didn't want to move from this spot in fear that they would break the hazy and happy spell over them, "Ten minutes?"

Felicity wanted to stay here. In a place where she was relaxed, where it was new and all theirs. Nodding she slipped her leg over his. Flicking one of the buttons on his shirt she became lost in her thoughts, "Ok ten minutes."

They were still Felicity and Oliver. He was still the Bratva boss trying to wade his way through his inherited life because he'd lost the precious one he'd had. She was still the tech genius who had lost her family and was trying to fit into the Bratva world. But now they fell into place differently; more intimately. Tonight was proof of that.

It felt strange to talk like this. More intimate and revealing, yet still the same. They loved it.

"You know we're gonna fall asleep," Felicity muttered lightly, slowly slipping a button off.

Oliver melted back into the bed beneath them as he watched her, "No we're not."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I know," was his quick response.

"That doesn't make sense," she replied sleepily. Her brow furrowed and he moved to sooth it over with a thumb.

He shrugged, "You don't make sense."

"Tease," she growled playfully, smacking his chest gently. His chest jumped in laughter, "You're just messing with me to keep me awake so we don't fall asleep."

If this is how he was going to fall asleep then he wanted to do it for the rest of his life, "You love it."

She went back to playing with his shirt buttons as an automatic and easy response slipped from her.

"I do."

* * *

**A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter! TheAltSource even made a smut notebook for this chapter and future ones of smut. Arrow is coming back next week so I hope you guys are ready! See you next week!**

**Love,**

**PoisonAngelMuse &amp; TheAlternativeSource**


	12. Kiss Me

**The Crow Chapter 12 – Kiss Me**

**Disclaimer:** We own nothing but our plot and our own characters. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to DC Comics and CW Television. All rights over this idea and its concepts belong to us. This work is intended for the private enjoyment of the reader and is not to be shared on any other sites (besides AO3 and FF) or events without our express permission.

* * *

**A/N: Hi everyone! Thank you all for the amazing support. We love you guys so much and we can´t wait for the new Arrow episode tonight! Let's hope that things will improve for our favorite couple!**

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**Music – Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran**

* * *

_And your heart's against my chest__  
__Your lips pressed in my neck__  
__I'm falling for your eyes__  
__But they don't know me yet__  
__And with a feeling I'll forget__  
__I'm in love now_

_Kiss me like you wanna be loved__  
__You wanna be loved__  
__You wanna be loved__  
__This feels like falling in love__  
__Falling in love__  
__We're falling in love_

_Settle down with me__  
__And I'll be your safety__  
__You'll be my lady_

_I was made to keep your body warm__  
__But I'm cold as the wind blows so hold me in your arms_

_And your heart's against my chest__  
__Your lips pressed in my neck__  
__I'm falling for your eyes__  
__But they don't know me yet__  
__And with a feeling I'll forget__  
__I'm in love now_

_Kiss me like you wanna be loved__  
__You wanna be loved__  
__You wanna be loved__  
__This feels like falling in love__  
__Falling in love__  
__We're falling in love_

_Yeah I've been feeling everything__  
__From hate to love from love to lust__  
__From lust to truth I guess that's how I know you__  
__So I hold you close to help you give it up_

Felicity Smoak liked order in her life. She liked a schedule. Knowing how things were going to start and how they were going to end. That's just how she'd been raised. It's how she survived for the longest time. Then she came to the Queen Mansion. Everything was thrown up in the air. Oliver determined everything that she did, everywhere she went, hell everything that she wore. It all went according to him and his schedule, his needs.

And then things started to shift. He started to trust her and she started to trust him. That trust between them gave her more freedom to go by her own schedule again, her own order. And since it was a partnership that she had built with Oliver they had worked a back and forth rhythm with each other; telling the other their schedule, complimenting each other and this new dynamic quite well.

Most days started off with waking up tangled in each others arms, making out, jogging, making out, then getting ready for work before separating; Felicity for breakfast and Oliver for QC. After that Felicity would spend the day training, goofing off, eating lunch, or silently sitting together while she worked with Sara and Roy. Oliver spent the day with Diggle either running things at QC or in various locations around Starling City dealing with the Bratva. At night they would all return to the mansion; Oliver joining them more often than not. Then a quick shower, a sweep of their room, before curling up in bed together and starting the process all over again.

But there was something that had been throwing this order off ever since they had confessed that they loved each other and fallen into this new dynamic; the separate rooms. Sure she slept in the same room as Oliver. And sure she had a bunch of her things strewn around the room; much to Oliver's displeasure since he was such a neat freak. But she had to go back and forth between her room and his since most of her things were still in her original room.

She had brought it up to Oliver one night while his fingers were dancing across the bare skin between her shoulder blades, head lying on the pillow near hers.

"You know a lot of my things are still in my original room," she had said.

Oliver had kissed her shoulder and simply told her, "Then move them in here."

And that was it. No argument. No hesitation in letting her permanently settle into his own personal space. He wasn't scared to let her in.

The following morning Roy and Sara watched the hallway to make sure that Anya wasn't snooping about as Oliver and Felicity moved things from Felicity's original room to their room. And there was that the big word 'their' again. Oliver's room wasn't his anymore. It was theirs; Oliver and Felicity's room.

"How much clothes did you buy?" Oliver commented as he lifted up over 20 hangers, clothes still on said hangers, off the rack.

"Correction, how much clothes did Sara buy me?" Felicity said as she placed all her heels delicately into a box. She was starting to get a little fond of them, she admitted to herself. Even though she missed her converses.

"Sara?"

"Yup, you told her to set me all up, give me a new look. Well she did it. Fifty bazillion items of clothes later."

"Well she did a good job," Oliver smoothly said, a leer somehow making it into his voice as he hoisted up the clothes a little more, "A really good job." She could feel his gaze roll over her, making her flush all over.

Felicity stood and locked eyes with him, "Behave."

His eyes widened at the familiar word he liked to use on her when their makeup sessions got a little rambunctious. Before he could open his mouth to reply she walked past him and out of the room.

It had taken them less time than she expected to get all her things moved over to Oliver's gigantic walk in closet. He practically had one side of his closet empty already so it was quick work, Felicity grabbing the things in her drawers and shoes and Oliver grabbing armfuls of her things like they weighed nothing. It was a sight to see those flexing muscles work to move her things she noted.

This felt right.

Oliver followed after her and hooked up her clothes on the rack in his walk-in as she put her shoes away on the shelves that pulled out from the walls. He left her to finish and continued moving her things. When she was done she returned to her 'old' walk-in closet to see Oliver in her underwear drawer, head tilted in contemplation as he lifted up a lacy green bra.

She rushed over to him, snatching the bra from his fingers, "This was not the way that I hoped you saw my underwear."

Oliver snorted in surprise, "You've thought about it?"

Felicity pinched the bridge of her nose for a second before throwing the bra back into the drawer and closing it for good measure, "Yes I have. Problem?"

His eyes became dark. He'd thought about her in her underwear plenty of times. Sadly they had not reached that stage yet, "No, not at all. So if I can't touch your underwear drawer then what should I do?"

Felicity looked around the closet quickly and realized Oliver's dilemma. Everything was gone; the entire walk-in empty besides her underwear drawer and the backpack tucked into a corner by the mirror wall. Stepping over she scooped it up and presented it to Oliver, "You can take this."

He took it, fingers delicately wrapping around the straps. He knew what this was and he knew what it meant. Her life was in this bag, "You sure?"

Felicity grinned at him, eyes gentle and confident in him, "Yes. You take that. I trust you."

His hold became more sure. She trusted him so much sometimes that it still threw him off. And if it wasn't for what he held in his hands he would have pulled her in for a demanding and loving kiss, squishing the bag between them.

Oliver brought the bag to his chest, "Where should I put it?"

She mulled it over before deciding, "Just put it on the bed, please."

Oliver nodded and disappeared back to their room as Felicity took off her scarf and used it as a makeshift bjorn to collect her underwear and move it on over. She didn't even look back as she left her old room and stepped into their room. Oliver was sitting on their bed, her bag sitting next to him as he waited for her to put her final things away. With a shutting of a drawer it was done. Her things right across from his. She was officially moved in and it still felt oh so right.

He was still sitting on their bed when she stepped into the main part of the room.

"Well…" Felicity began.

"Everything's put away," Oliver finished for her. He felt settled at the knowledge that her things were here.

Felicity smiled shyly, "Yeah. Everything's put away. Everything except that bag sitting right next to you."

Oliver turned to the bag, "What do you wanna do with it?"

Felicity came over and sat on the opposite side of the backpack. Her finger came up to mess with the clasp on the front. This bag had been her life. No it was her life. All of it in one bag and ready for a quick get away if she needed it. And she had needed it...

"The most important things in my life are in here," she whispered, "a bag ready for a quick getaway."

Oliver tensed, a part of him a little wary of the bag that she could use to get away from it all. Including him, "What…what are you going to do with it?"

She hesitated for another beat before looking up at him, eyes pleading, "Would it be ok if I kept some of it in one of the nightstands? I know one of the nightstands has your gun and some…well, one of your favorite books but we have the other and I don't know if there is anything in that one."

Oliver reached across and cupped her cheek, stopping her ramble, "Hey, breathe."

She swallowed slowly, catching her breath. She felt nervous and thrown off by this. The clothes and things they had moved earlier were nothing compared to this. It had been Oliver's final stepping-stone to letting her in. This was her final stepping-stone to letting him in.

"Better?" Oliver asked, thumb tracing over the apple of her cheek. Seeing her panicky and nervous was something he hated.

She nodded, holding on tightly to her calm, "Yeah, better."

"The nightstand on the side you usually sleep in is empty. You can put anything you want in there. It's our room," Oliver reassured, "Not yours…not mine. Ours."

Felicity groaned and nuzzled his hand. This moment was so different when she compared it to the first time they'd talked about this bag, "Ours. I'm sorry. I just…have had this bag for a while. It's a big part of me."

"I understand."

Before she could stop herself she asked, "Do you want to see what's inside?"

"Really?" Oliver raised an eyebrow and somehow managed to look ashamed at the same time. He had seen what was inside that bag. The first time without permission.

As if reading his thoughts she cupped his cheek as well, "This time I'm giving you permission. I want to show you. If I'm going to unpack, put this away here, I want to show you."

At a loss for words he nodded his head once.

She pulled away with a timid smile before turning her body towards him and starting to remove the contents of her bag. She tucked up her legs onto the bed and Oliver followed suit. When it was all laid out between them she began.

Felicity shared with him the ins and outs of the small stack of Marvel comics she had. Telling him about her love for them exploding out of nowhere when she was 8 and her mom had taken her to a comic book shop on a whim. She told him about the radio that had been sitting on 'her' nightstand for the past couple weeks. How she had built it with family that she loved and cared for even though they weren't blood. She went over everything in that bag. Even the things that weren't there and at the foundry; her old laptop and cell.

She was practically out of breath and had been talking for about 20 minutes when she came to the last item in her hands. Her very first book. With its yellowed pages and turned down corners, it was one of the most sacred things she had from her childhood.

Oliver had been quiet the entire time, listening to every word she said and putting it away in a special place inside of him meant for her. But when she pulled out the old copy of The Hobbit she had stopped, freezing as if not being able to speak. He stood and walked over to his nightstand, hesitating for a second, before pulling open the nightstand drawer and taking out his copy of The Little Prince.

He returned to his spot, book clutched in his fingers. Felicity's eyes were wide as she followed him; recognition there. She'd seen him pull out the book on plenty of occasions but had never asked him about it. Respecting his space.

He took the first step. "When I was little my mother would read this to me just like her mother did for her. The Little Prince," he paused. He couldn't open it, not now, but he wanted to tell her about it. About what it meant, "Have you read it before?"

Felicity shook her head, "No."

"It's the story of a young boy who had fallen to Earth on a tiny asteroid and who wondered about the adult world," he explained, fingers holding the book as lovingly as Felicity was holding hers, "It was my favorite growing up. Read it almost every night."

Felicity scooted over a little bit and placed a hand on top of the two on his book, "The Watsons gave me my copy of The Hobbit. I've never gone far without it. I can practically recite it by now."

Oliver turned his hand and laced his fingers with hers. The air had grown heavy around them, both sharing an intimate part of their past with the other.

"Thank you for sharing that with me," Felicity said.

He tugged her forward and planted a tender kiss on her lips, "Thank you for sharing all of this with me. This part of your life. Thank you for trusting me."

Blinking back tears she took his mouth again. "Help me put this away?" she whispered against him, not wanting to move or break the spell between them.

Oliver matched her whisper, not wanting to move as well, "Whatever you need Ms. Smoak."

* * *

Something was wrong. Sara could feel it in her bones as she watched her blonde friend/charge.

Felicity had been in a frenzy for the past few days. Ever since she'd figured out the reason why her friends and her had been tracked by the Triad, she had been going nonstop over all of her notes and codes. There were endless empty cups of coffee around her, and Sara knew that Felicity had been hiding from Oliver that she'd been having trouble sleeping for the last couple of days; too consumed with guilt and her desire to find a way to make China White and the Triad pay. She had seen Oliver acting the same way too many times to count and she was worried about the dangerous path Felicity was walking on. She didn't want her to get hurt on her track to vengeance.

Sara would have to talk to Oliver today if this continued any longer.

"She's still going strong?" Roy asked her, sitting next to her in the training area on the other side of the foundry.

"She hasn't stopped ever since we arrived. She's barely touched her breakfast. She's living off coffee and protein bars as far as I know," Sara whispered, her tone filled with worry and disapproval.

"She's been like this for how many days? Three?"

"Four," she said, crossing her arms as she watched Felicity typing something on her keyboard. She bit her lip; probably still trying to solve the fix needed on Cooper's virus, before continuing typing.

"Blondie is a badass. She'll be fine," Roy say, trying to reassure Sara.

"I know that. They're just dedicated. She and my dad have that in common. They're both brilliant and stubborn. Both obsessed with finding a way to put China White behind bars," Sara said, remembering how her father had been acting lately; obsessed like Felicity. She was afraid that something bad was bound to happen in his hunt to take down the Triad, and there was nothing that she could do to stop him. The Triad was known for showing no mercy in killing cops, in fact, they were proud of it. Which only fueled her fathers desire to end their organization once and for all.

It had become his life's mission.

"She's going through some tough stuff, no matter how much of a honeymoon phase her and Oliver are going through. It could be worse," Roy tried to reason with a shrug as they both watched Felicity take a large sip from her coffee mug, while writing down something in her notebook and moving back to her screen.

"I just worry," Sara admitted as Felicity let out a frustrated groan and ripped a page out of her notebook, throwing the paper away angrily. She was clearly frustrated.

"I know you do Sara. But we've got to support her. She must be feeling bad enough on her own," Roy said, knowing exactly what Felicity was feeling. He had once watched helpless, as people got hurt in front of him. The world was a dark place, and you had to learn to deal with it if you wanted to survive it.

"I know…it just sucks to not be able to do anything to help out," she said, frustrated.

"Come on, we're the muscle of this operation. Not to mention the good looks. Leave the brains to Ms. Hacker Genius over there," Roy said with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, making Sara roll her eyes at him.

"Charming," she said sarcastically.

"Yes!" Felicity shouted from the other side of the foundry, making both Roy and Sara stare over at her and her raised fist.

"Everything ok, Felicity?" Sara asked, worried.

"I got in!" she shouted, her fingers moving quickly over the keyboard, her eyes never leaving the screen. This was progress that eased her mind the smallest fraction.

"What do you mean you got in?" Sara asked her, moving towards her work desk, watching in confusion as endless code appeared on her screen. Felicity was good.

"I got inside the Triads system," Felicity explained excitedly, typing quickly as more screens popped up. She kept on typing and working through the system. She was practically dashing through it, "I didn't tell you but Cooper's virus, I fixed it. That's why I've been working so hard for the last couple days. I only have another minute before they realize I tore my way in. I'm downloading what I can."

"Wow," Roy said, impressed as he leaned across the back of her chair.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Sara asked, as more windows opened. Oliver would kill her if this blew over.

"It is as long as I leave right now," Felicity quickly said, closing the connection. She turned to them, eyes happy and excited. She had decided to hold off on telling Oliver about Cooper's virus because of this. Because she wanted results. Something to show him. And now she had them, "Done."

Sara and Roy exchanged worried looks, knowing pretty well that if the Triad tracked then to Verdant, China White would be the least of their problems.

Felicity twirled back in her chair and began going over the small chunk of information she had managed to scrape out, "They have a better firewall than last time that's for sure. But combined with Cooper's fixed virus and the battering ram of a program I pulled from my old laptop…I managed to crack them open just a bit. I have no idea the kind of data that I got, but it's something."

"So they won't be able to track us?" Sara asked, leaning her hip against the desk.

Felicity shook her head. She had double, triple checked that her work was ready. She wouldn't lose the small ground, the small family, she had gained since she had lost the last, "No. We're safe. I fixed what he…did wrong. Pinkie promise."

Sara patted her shoulder, "Good."

"Blondie, I've got to admit that's pretty cool. You're a little badass, aren't you?" Roy said with pride. He felt like an older brother all of a sudden.

Felicity looked away from her screen for a second, smiling at Roy, "Badass with Wi-Fi."

"So tell me a little about what you did here," Sara requested, eyes still unsure at what she was seeing flying over Felicity's screen.

"I used a new and improved version of the virus that we used to hack their accounts with the program on my laptop. But instead of going for the money I went for the information. They've improved their systems and the money is behind a very strong firewall now. But the other files, the information, was easier to hack into. They must have not integrated that part under the new system yet. As I tried to grab things the virus scrubbed any trace of me and overloaded their primary security system. I barely got anything but something is better than nothing. I can't wait to tell Oliver. I think he's starting to notice that I've been looking 'sleepy' lately."

"Ok," Sara said with a nod, trusting Felicity's judgment and abilities.

"It will take a few hours for the programs to really work on it. I will let you guys know if I find something," Felicity whispered, starting to sink back into the information in front of her. She hoped she found something good.

"Ok, we'll leave you to it as long as you finish your breakfast, even if it's cold," Sara said with a pointed look. Felicity nodded, unwrapping her sandwich and beginning to eat while typing with one hand. At least it was a partial win. "Come on Abercrombie. It's time to see if you can protect that pretty face," Sara said, as she and Roy walked towards the training area and left Felicity to work.

* * *

The sound of grunts and fists hitting flesh filled the foundry for the next hour or so as Felicity worked on the information she'd gotten. A lot of it was incomplete or didn't make sense. Most of it needed more time in the program she was running it through. She did notice one thing about the information she had found. There were numbers. Not just any random numbers either. There was a pattern there. Flipping to another page in her notebook she began writing ideas down until it hit her. These weren't random numbers. They were locations and times.

"Oh God," Felicity said, shooting up from her seat.

"Everything ok?" Sara asked her, out of breath and covered in sweat as she stood over Roy.

"I think I've got something," Felicity said, holding up her notebook. Sara stepped over Roy and came to her. She looked through the seemingly random numbers.

"What are they?" Sara asked, as Roy joined them.

"I found some random numbers that seemed to have no meaning separately. But then I realized that those numbers were repeating themselves every few files. I think I found a date and location for a shipment," Felicity explained proudly.

"A shipment?" Roy asked her, pointing at the mess on Felicity's page, "From these numbers?"

"Yes. After I noticed I put them into the computer. These are coordinates that show the original locations," Felicity explained as she pointed at various numbers in her notebook, "and the final one – here in Starling City. The harbour in particular. There are more numbers that I haven't figured out yet, but I'm pretty sure those are Triad shipments."

Sara hummed. This could be a big hit against the Triad, "We know they are getting drugs into the city somehow. This must be it, how they do it."

"Is there some way for us to check this information?" Felicity asked them. She wasn't sure how to ask what she wanted too, "Maybe send some Bratva members out to check?"

"Nah, it would be too dangerous. The Triad and the Italians are at war in the streets of the Glades. If we get caught looking at their shipments it would put Bratva into the middle of a war we don't want. Anatoly would have our heads," Roy explained.

Felicity mulled over any other possible ways to get around this hump. "What if it wasn't us that went to check it?" Felicity suggested.

"What you mean?" Roy asked her.

"Maybe this is a job for the cops. Not us," Felicity said carefully. Sara looked up at Felicity knowingly.

"You want to give my father the intel," Sara said, not sure how she felt about it. Her father had been through a lot since his partner had been shot. He was obsessed with his revenge, and maybe giving him this information right now wasn't such a good thing – his head wasn't in the game.

But…if her father got this information…it could change everything.

"Your father is a detective, Sara. He has the law and the means to go after this shipment. We can give him an anonymous tip or something. And he can call the SWAT team in or something like that," Felicity explained, enthusiastically. They were moving towards something concrete to take the Triad down, "I've been listening to his frequency lately. He's hit a dead end with the restaurant where the rain of bullets happened. He's arrested two members of the Triad, and both of them were killed in prison. No one will talk. They all fear China White too much. If we can find proof that she is the one behind the drug trafficking or whatever is in those shipments, then every organization with letters in their names like the FBI or DEA will come and take her down."

"She's right, Sara," Roy said, crossing his arms against his chest, as he nodded, "Pushing to get Chine White out must be done subtlety."

"I understand. We'd be peeling away the layers of what gives her control in Starling City," Sara agreed, "We have to go through this with Oliver first. If he agrees to it, then I'll make sure my dad gets the intel."

"That's all I can ask you for," Felicity said with a small smile, moving to look back at the data one more time. She was elated and thrilled at what this could all be, "This is where we start tearing her down."

* * *

Diggle had been working beside Oliver Queen for a very long time. In fact, he considered Oliver his best friend. They both bonded over the pain of losing their loved ones, as well as their desire to have justice by their own hands, since the legal way hadn't done anything for them. Diggle considered Oliver a brother and he had worked beside him as his second in command, his partner and sometimes, as the voice of reason for a man that had a very short temper and a very dark side inside of him. But Diggle knew that Oliver Queen was a good man. A man that had gone through too much darkness in his short life. A man that believed he was broken and that the only thing worth living for was his desire to avenge his family's murder.

All of this made it so that Diggle was protective of Oliver. It was the reason why he doubted Felicity Smoak for so long. He doubted that she had his best interests in mind and that she would only use him to get what she wanted. He feared that she would be a danger to all of them. But he was wrong.

Felicity had been the missing piece of the large puzzle that pulled all of them together. She was more than someone that they could use to bring the Triad down, no; she was much more than that. She had become a friend to Sara, a sister figure to Roy and the woman that Oliver loved. She was loyal and brave. And she gained Diggle's trust and approval, something he was sure she wouldn't be able to. After all, Diggle had been through hell when he was in the army; he knew how much it could cost to trust the wrong person. But so far, Felicity Smoak hadn't let him down. And he was thankful for that.

John Diggle was thankful for the first time in a very long time that he was wrong.

"So, business seems to be doing well," Diggle started, shoving his hands deep inside his pockets as he looked through the glass windows of Oliver's office. From this high up the people on the busy streets looked like ants, "The program Felicity developed to smooth operations over for the brotherhood seems to be working like magic. You should think about hiring her for more legit business purposes."

"Not sure how the board would feel about me hiring my girlfriend," Oliver said, not looking from the document he was revising. It was the longest one yet today.

"Maybe Walter should do it then," Diggle suggested, making Oliver laugh.

"Not sure I can use the program that Felicity designed to show Walter how good she actually is."

"No. But maybe you should ask her to think about it. I'm sure she could come up with something other than that. After all, she said this program was only a small improvement, didn't she? Imagine if she did that for QC?"

Oliver did look up this time, eyes curious, "Are you serious, John?"

"Why not? We both know that she could do a lot of good around here. Besides, she will soon have a lot of free time," Diggle said, and Oliver knew exactly what he was hinting at, "She is close, man. You haven't said anything but you know she's been working herself hard to find a way into their systems; to finding something to knock them over the way that we couldn't. Our fight is reaching its end."

"You seem optimistic," Oliver commented, steeping his fingers together and resting his elbows on top of his glass table as Diggle moved to sit in front of him.

"I've seen your girlfriend in action. I know she will find a way. And she will set all of us free. We will finally be able to put this behind us and live our lives."

"I just want to see that woman paying for her sins. For all the pain and horror she brought on all of us. I hadn't thought about what I would do next. It never mattered before," Oliver said, a dark shadow forming in his blue eyes. He hadn't thought of the after in a while; when all of this would be over. Felicity wasn't going to leave him. He wasn't worried about that. But what would Felicity decide to do after? He toyed with the idea that maybe she could come over and work for QC legitimately like John suggested.

"That's because you haven't had anything else to live for before."

"John…" Oliver said with a sigh. This was a lot to talk about right now.

"You know that I've never believed in living in the brotherhood. I see what this world does to people. I've seen how easily brothers have been turned against one another. How easily they can be discarded. I don't want this. I have Lyla, and I want to have a family with her. My life matters more than the Bratva."

"I know that John. And I promise you; no harm will be done to you or to her. You are under my protection for the rest of my life"

"But what about you?" John countered.

Oliver frowned, "Me?"

"Don't you want to be free? To make your own choices? To live the life that your family would want you to have? This time with Felicity?"

"I wish it was that simple," Oliver grumbled as he ran a hand down his stubble. He would never be free of this darkness that Bratva had brought into his life. Sure they could deal with China White, take her down and end her existence. But his destiny had been set in stone. Bratva was his life.

"It can be, Oliver. If you decide it to be," Diggle insisted, "You've got someone else to think about now."

Felicity smiling face flashed in his mind. She was something to live for, something grand. But the Bratva…they had their hooks in him for so long. He didn't know how to escape them, "I can't just leave. You know that's not how the brotherhood works."

"Anatoly won't live forever Oliver. Maybe you should have a plan for that. For the possibility of a life outside of the Bratva."

"I wish I could, John," Oliver said, the weight of being the next Pakhan fell upon his shoulders if Anatoly died.

John knew how hard this was for Oliver. He'd grown used to the burden and terror of Anatoly in his life. To think that there was no life outside of the Bratva. To top it off he had more scars than any soldier that Diggle had met in his lifetime. They were constant reminders of the life he'd led. So no matter how much Diggle knew Oliver desired to live a normal life, he didn't dare to dream out loud of hope for a different life. Because to hope, was to believe, and it could crush him if those desires turned to be nothing but illusions. And Oliver had learned a long time ago that he couldn't be vulnerable like that. Not if he wanted to survive this life.

A knock on the door interrupted them.

John quickly got up from his chair and moved to answer it. Both were surprised to see that it was Walter.

"Hello John," Walter greeted. Looking past him, he greeted Oliver as well.

"Mr. Steele" John said politely.

"Walter, please come in," Oliver said, getting up from his chair motioning for him to enter.

"Do you have a moment?" Walter asked, as Diggle nodded towards Walter in recognition and exited the office.

"Of course. Please, sit," Oliver said. Once seated Oliver asked, "So how can I help you today, Walter?"

"I wanted to discuss with you some ideas that I've been thinking over," Walter said, an air of importance to his words.

"Ok," Oliver said, straightening and giving Walter his full attention.

"Oliver, you know I've been working at QC for the past twenty years. That your father was the one that pushed me to move from England to Starling City to work for the company. And I've been very happy both as CFO and in my time as CEO."

"I'm well aware, Walter. You're one of the few people in this world that I would trust my family's company to."

Walter smiled at the compliment, "I'm glad to hear this. It actually makes my proposition something that you may like then."

"What proposition?" Oliver asked, curious.

"I've been thinking it's time for us to branch out. I have been looking for fields that QC could benefit from, and I believe that clean energy is a very promising field. Especially now during the growing concern with climate change and the price of oil. Clean energy could benefit QC greatly."

"Clean energy sounds like a good investment," Oliver agreed with a small smile, "Do you have any idea where you would want to start?"

Walter nodded, his face becoming more eager at Oliver's acceptance, "There is a small company that has been developing very interesting projects. They just don't have the capital for it. I think this specific group of people could be brought in after being bought out and be a great addition to the Advanced Science division."

"Excellent," Oliver said, pleased. A little bit more legitimate business for QC sounded like a breath of fresh air to him, "Where is this company situated?"

"England," Walter answered calmly.

"England?" Oliver said, slightly shocked, "Walter, what exactly are you asking me?"

"I would like to go back to England and create a QC branch there," Walter admitted, "Their facility is pretty big despite the issues with capital and it seems like the best option. That way I'm still a member of the company and they don't have to move."

"I…I didn't know that you wanted to leave," Oliver admitted. Walter had been a comforting presence at QC for years and the thought of him not being here was hard.

"I've been very happy here, Oliver. But England is my home. Besides, my daughter Claire has been accepted to Oxford. I would like to stay close to her if it's possible."

"Congratulations Walter, Claire is a brilliant young woman. You must be very proud," Oliver said, already mourning the lose of one of the best men he'd ever known. Walter had been a father figure to him. He had been one of his father's best friends and his most trusted partner. He had been Oliver's mentor when he came back from Russia. The kind of man that Oliver wanted to be – honest and fair. It would be sad to see him go.

"Thank you. Samantha and I are very proud of her."

"I will make sure to talk about expanding QC to England with the board during the next meeting. I'm sure that they will approve it as long as they know it will be lucrative and that a man like you is running it," Oliver assured, trying to hide his own concerns at losing such a man in his daily life, "I will miss having you here, Walter."

Walter smiled, full of fatherly concern, "You will do fine, Oliver. You have become an excellent CEO. Your parents would be very proud of how you took care of Queen Consolidated. I know that I am."

"Thank you, Walter."

"And it's not like you'll miss my presence that much," Walter teased lightly, "You've got your lovely lady now and I'm always a phone call away. Just believe in yourself Oliver. You've done an amazing job on your own so far and your family would be proud of you. I'm proud of you."

Oliver swallowed tightly at the tone of Walters's words. He trusted Oliver explicitly, "Thank you Walter."

"It's in your blood, Oliver. You'll continue to strive and QC will continue to grow."

Oliver looked away for a second. He'd never become used to compliments from his pseudo father figure, "I hope that's true, Walter."

Walter stood to leave and placed a hand on Oliver's desk, bringing Oliver's attention to him again, "I know it is."

* * *

Felicity walked out of the elevator on the top floor of the Queen Consolidated building, her heels echoing against the marble floors, making her feel self-conscious of her own footsteps. The room was elegant, all shiny chrome and modern furniture. Amongst all of this, in a corner, an older lady sat behind a desk, quickly typing on her computer. Oliver's executive assistant looked up at her as soon as she heard her.

"Can I help you, miss?" she asked her, politely but warily. She looked familiar.

"I'm here to see Mr. Queen. Do you think he could spare me a moment?" Felicity asked as she reached her desk.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No," Felicity said, softly biting her lip. "It's a personal matter. I can come back later if he's busy?" she said, feeling uncertain. She hadn't visited QC in a while and she'd never visited his office alone.

"And who should I say is here to meet him?" his secretary asked, as she got up from her chair.

"Felicity Smoak," Felicity answered, feeling slightly nervous all the sudden. His secretary had the most penetrating stare.

"Oh, Ms. Smoak," the older woman said in recognition, "Please go right in. Mr. Queen asked for you to go in as soon as you got here."

"He was expecting me?" Felicity asked, confused. She hadn't told Oliver she was coming. In fact, her desire to appear at his office just to take him to lunch was a spur of the moment kind of thing; well a spur of the moment kind of thing after Sara had dragged her out of the foundry for a break. She had missed him, and she couldn't wait to tell him all about her discoveries, even though she knew she would have to wait until they were back in the safety of their bedroom to tell him.

Still, she wanted to see him.

"It's more of a standing order when it comes to you," she explained as she led Felicity towards Oliver's office door.

"Oh, thank you," Felicity said, as the older woman stopped in front of Oliver's door and motioned for her to step forward.

She gave Felicity a final nod before walking away, "No problem, Ms. Smoak."

Felicity softly knocked on the door and opened it, ducking her head inside Oliver's office.

"Honey, I'm home," she joked when she caught sight of Oliver lost in thought at his desk. He seemed to take a few seconds to process that she was actually there.

"Felicity," he said, a large smile appearing on his face as he got up from his chair. "What are you doing here?" he asked her, his tone filled with happiness and astonishment. He'd needed to see her comforting face after his discussion with Walter. He stopped right in front of her and gently placed his wide palms over her hips.

"I wanted to surprise you," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and softly kissing him on the lips. "Hi," she whispered against his mouth.

"Hi," he said, letting his hands slip around her small waist, "You're the best kind of surprise, you know?"

"Oh really?" she answering cheekily.

He responded with an affirmative hum and kissed her. This time the kiss ran deeper and longer. She loved kissing Oliver. She loved feeling his soft lips against hers. She loved feeling the soft trail of stubble that teased her mouth. And she loved the warmth and comfort that resonated from him with each kiss. It made her want to be closer to him. To press her body against his and get lost in what he was offering.

She didn't know this…but he felt the same way. Each kiss made him fall deeper into everything that she was and everything that she made him feel.

When they finally pulled apart from each other, their breathing was heavy and their faces were flushed.

"I want to take you to lunch," Felicity said, bringing her hand down to softly caress the nape of his neck.

"Are you asking me out on a date, Ms. Smoak?" Oliver asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Taking you on dates is a part of dating you, isn't it? You know, nights laying under the stars, long walks on the beach, all that jazz," she said, making Oliver roll his eyes at her smart mouth, "Am I wrong? I think I lost my copy of Rules of Dating Billionaires 101 so I'm not sure completely how this is supposed to go."

He pinched her bottom causing her to jump.

"Haha. Funny," Oliver said kissing her one more time. "I'm glad you're here," he whispered, his thumbs caressing the small of her back as his mind began to wander.

His eyes looked haunted, and Felicity could sense that something was bothering Oliver. No matter how much he tried to hide it, something had happened. He had a sadness to him that he hadn't had this morning. Felicity knew that his existence depended on him acting tough and resilient. But with her he was allowed to let those barriers down. She'd seen it.

"Are you ok?" she asked him worried, turning his face up and caressing the short stubble on his jaw.

His eyes focused in on her again but the sadness was still there, "Yeah, why do you ask?"

"You had that brooding look on your face when I walked into your office," Felicity said, trying to smooth over the slight frown on his face, "Now you've got a sad look on it. I don't like it."

"I wasn't brooding," Oliver said, pulling her body close and avoiding her eyes.

"Oliver," Felicity pleaded, pressing her nose against his temple.

"I was deep in thought. It's different," he explained, his tone telling her that he didn't want to talk about it.

"And the sad look that followed?" she pushed gently; wanting him to know that she was there for him.

"Just considering all the possibilities of life I guess. Walter proposed a new project that might change QC. That might change how long he stays here," Oliver said with a shrug, "It made me consider some things in my future."

"Should I be worried? Are you finally going to run away with Colin Firth?" she asked, trying to light the mood. She pulled back a little to look at his face and caught him smiling, "You are!"

Oliver's face brightened instantly and he laughed. Pecking her on the lips, he grabbed onto the lifeline she was giving him. "Never! You're my constant. Colin Firth can't compare."

Felicity groaned, "I knew I shouldn't have showed you that episode of Lost."

Oliver swayed them a little, enjoying this private moment after the day he'd had, "I'm serious. I love you."

"As do I," she whispered, heart swelling at his words. Every time he told her he loved her, felt like the first time, "Now come, it's time for me to feed you this time."

* * *

They agreed to go to the deli down the street on the same block as Queen Consolidated. While they made their way out of QC, people seemed to stare at Felicity and Oliver's joined hands a little more than was polite. She knew that it was something expected, after all, Oliver never had never had a serious girlfriend before and their relationship was big news. Not to mention that the media still hadn't gotten a hold of a picture of them together. So far all they'd had were speculations of a mysterious blonde that seemed to be always be by Oliver's side.

While Felicity knew this was all part of the package that came with dating Oliver Queen, she liked their bubble, the anonymity, and the quiet moments they shared together. And she knew sooner or later they would have to attend some big event, and the media would go into a frenzy at wanting to know the woman that stood next to Starling City's favourite bachelor. And she felt like she was ready for that as long as he was by her side. But for now she would enjoy their quiet moments together as long as they could. They loved each other and right now, that was all that mattered.

They kept walking together, both ignoring the curious looks from the people passing them the streets, their fingers laced together. They softly talked about random stuff that had happened in their day. It was simple, domestic and they loved it.

Felicity couldn't stop smiling as Oliver talked about board meetings and some weird contract that he'd gotten from one of their new providers. She loved this part of this life. Loved to see him working and continuing his family's legacy of achieving great things. Oliver was happy and calm with her. He didn't feel like Oliver Queen, the Crow, for a change. He was just a man walking down the street with the woman who loved him. It gave him hope that one day maybe he wouldn't be living this double life.

"Ollie," a raspy voice said from behind then, making Oliver freeze mid step. Felicity saw her first. It was that woman from Verdant. The dark haired vixen, with pale skin and big blue eyes. The woman that not long ago used to be with Oliver. The woman that clearly still wanted to be with Oliver. The woman that Felicity had raised a glass too after she staked her claim on Oliver. Helena.

"Helena," Oliver said, his voice tense as he and Felicity turned to stare at the beautiful yet vindictive woman.

"I thought it was you. I haven't seen you in a while," she said with a flirty smile, her eyes locked on Oliver and blowing off Felicity, "Verdant hasn't been the same without you."

"As you can see, I have been busy," Oliver said shortly, stepping closer to Felicity and tucking her into his side.

"Clearly," she mused, her voice filled with venom as she finally looked at Felicity. Her stare told her that she thought Felicity was beneath her. It made Felicity bristle. Any other woman would slap Helena for her smart mouth. But Felicity was above that. She'd kill her with kindness.

"Felicity Smoak," Felicity said cheerfully, offering her hand to Helena with a fake smile pasted on her lips.

"Helena Bertinelli," she said coldly, shaking her hand quickly and a little sharply. Her perfectly manicured red nails looked like claws.

"Didn't we met at Verdant once?" Felicity asked her best poker face in place, as Helena shot daggers at her, "Yeah, you're one of Oliver's business associates. You looked lovely that night." They both remembered that night clearly – how Oliver kept pushing Helena away, ending any possibility that their torrid affair would continue. Felicity was particularly fond of the memory of Helena bolting away from the club when Felicity raised her champagne flute at her, while Oliver wrapped his arms around her. And while Felicity and Oliver actually weren't together at the time, it was the first step in establishing them as equal partners. After all, he was hers, as much as she was his.

"Yes, you're the Little Bird," she said coldly, her tone filled with arrogance, not being able to hide her annoyance or disinterest, "I remember you."

"Oh yes, my girlfriend is not the kind of woman that is easily forgotten," Oliver said sweetly, softly kissing the top of Felicity's head. Felicity turned her face into his shoulder and smiled thoughtfully, eyes on Helena.

Helena's face crumbled for a second and Felicity saw the anger before she turned cold again, "Isn't that sweet. Who knew Oliver could be so romantic? Here I was thinking you were not that kind of man." Her voice held challenge at the end, waiting for Oliver to take the bait.

But Oliver wasn't going to fall into one of Helena's games. He was over her and had no time to deal with this when he had plans for a nice lunch with Felicity.

"Only with those that matter," Oliver assured, softly running his fingers along Felicity's side as she smiled up at him. They were the picture of happiness.

"The Crow and his Little Bird. Such a lovely pair," Helena said coldly as she placed a hand on her chest, her eyes filled with loathing.

"Aren't we?" Felicity said, her tone a mix of innocence and challenge, placing her hand on Oliver's chest, "He just makes me happier than I thought I'd ever be."

"How sweet," Helena commented.

"Helena, if you don't mind we've got to go. We have reservations." Oliver lied, with hard eyes when he looked at her; dismissing Helena and taking a step backwards. The conversation was done.

"We should meet sometime, Oliver," Helena tried again, trying to make her voice sound sensual. To Oliver and Felicity she sounded desperate, "We need to catch up. My father has been asking about you."

"I'll make sure to give a call to your father then, Helena," Oliver said shortly, his voice turning business like. He would keep his relationship with Helena's father; after all, he was the leader of the Italian Mob in the US and the Bratva had a delicate balance with them.

Helena's face fell at not being able to pull him in. But surprisingly enough she kept on going, kept on trying to make him respond, "I'm sure he'll pleased to hear from you. As would I, maybe we could go to have drinks before you have dinner with my father. Just two old friends catching up. We are old friends, aren't we Ollie?"

Oliver body tensed. He hated being called that name by Helena.

"Don't you have a fiancé?" Felicity asked, sensing Oliver's discomfort and making Helena's eyes fly back to her.

"Yes, she does. Maybe we should ask Michael to join us then," Oliver said in a clipped tone, as Felicity held back a smirk. "It could be a double date. What you think baby?" Oliver said, looking down once more at Felicity.

"Sure, it's always nice to meet your business partners, sweetheart," Felicity said, running her hand up Oliver's abs and settling over his heart, "Oh, and of course catch up with old friends."

From the corner of their eyes they could see that Helena was visibly shaking in anger now, fists clenched by her sides. She was expecting to at least grab a smidge of Oliver's attention and it wasn't working at all.

Oliver didn't take his eyes off of Felicity as he spoke. His mind was still latched on to the fact that Felicity had called him sweetheart. He kind of liked it, "It's settled then. I will ask my assistant to call your father and your fiancée to set up an appointment. Now if you don't mind, Helena we've got to go."

Oliver began turning them away without a goodbye.

"Until we meet again Helena," Felicity said coldly, as Helena seemed ready to throw a hiss fit any moment now.

"Can't wait," Helena fumed, turning away sharply and stomping down the sidewalk. Both hoped it would be the last time they saw her but they knew what kind of woman Helena was. She'd be back and they'd be ready. United.

They continued down the street again, Felicity still tucked to his side. The farther away they got the more the conversation with Helena began to fade. It was just them again. A couple ready to have a quiet lunch together.

Oliver ran his fingers teasingly over her side, "So…sweetheart?"

* * *

Three days – an explanation to Oliver about what she had found and slipping the information to Quentin Lance – later, Felicity and Oliver had found themselves stuck inside.

A major storm had hit the city and most roads were washed out and blocked from active traffic. As usual Oliver had woken up before Felicity, her blonde head tucked underneath his chin. It had taken one sneaking glance at the windows of their room for Oliver to grab his phone and text Diggle to close QC down for the day and send all non-essential personnel back home. Diggle had agreed to take care of Bratva business for the day as well since he was already in the city. When that was done he dropped the phone back on his nightstand and fell asleep next to Felicity.

They woke up around lunch and spent a couple lazy hours not moving an inch besides to eat and play another episode of whatever was playing in the background while lazily dozing and trading kisses.

Oliver had made the suggestion that they at least use a part of their day to do something productive while Felicity grumbled about moving and enjoying their day off. Eventually he had coaxed her out of the bed by yanking the covers off and tossing her work out clothes on her. That's how they ended up in the training/gym room of the mansion, past the sauna and the oh so familiar pool where she'd seen him with barely anything on, water trailing down his body. A picture she would not forget anytime soon.

"What has Sara been teaching you?" Oliver asked even though he knew everything. Sara kept him informed on what progress they had made. He just wanted to hear it from Felicity.

Felicity bounced on the balls of her feet, "Well, she's been teaching me some boxing and offensive techniques that will work for my small frame. She taught me opening and closing stretches to make sure I don't hurt my muscles. And we've started working on a couple defensive techniques with the help of Roy as test dummy." She grinned at the last part. He hadn't liked being used as the test dummy but Sara was sick and tired of him just standing on the sides.

"Ok, I'm going to do a couple sets on the salmon ladder while you get ready," Oliver said as he grabbed an iron bar that went with the ladder.

Her eyes followed the bar in confusion. She had absolutely no idea what it was for. When she realized he was waiting for an answer, she nodded, handing the towels they'd picked up from the sauna room to Oliver, "Ok, I'll just do some stretches."

Oliver set their things on a bench at the edge of the training mats before stepping up to the salmon ladder and starting his first set.

He could feel Felicity's eyes on him, burning a hot trail down his back. Flexing his muscles he made a grand show of pulling his body up to the next rung.

"You should be stretching!" he called out.

She gave an unladylike snort, moving behind him into her stretches, "What do you think I'm doing?"

"Staring at me?" he said. Even without seeing him she could hear the smugness in his voice.

"As if," was her reply, making it sound like she was going to turn away and continue her stretches. But her eyes were still on him. Watching the play of his muscles on his back through his shirt; the muscles of his arms. The wonder of being able to touch all of that was not fading any time soon.

For the next ten minutes or so Oliver went through a couple sets on the salmon ladder as Felicity stretched out behind him. When he was done he hopped off the ladder and heard a shout of surprise from behind him. He turned quickly, ready for anything, to only catch sight of Felicity mid stretch with wide eyes.

She flew out of her stretch and put her hands on her hips, "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"I thought you were focused on your stretches?"

She sputtered, looking for an excuse, "I was. You just startled me is all."

"Is that why your face is so red?" he said, pointing at her cheeks.

Felicity turned her head away, pretending she didn't feel the warmth rising to her face. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm ready. So what are you going to teach me today?" Felicity asked as she threw him a towel to wipe his face.

Oliver decided to let her ogling go for the moment and wiped his face before throwing the towel to the side. He stepped close to her and grabbed her wrist, "I'm going to teach you how to get away." Felicity tugged her arm lightly in confusion, "To get away from an attacker. Just some simple techniques. Now try to pull away."

She tried again, tugged at his arm with no use. She leaned her body back; Oliver's grip the only thing keeping her from toppling over, "Like this."

He drew her back so she was standing straight, "You'll never escape like that. I want you to open your right palm on the hand that I'm holding and twist your hand and forearm over and to the right until you've grasped the underside and you're free."

Before he could ask her to do it she twisted her arm out of his grasp just as instructed. Her eyes were startled but happy when she did it, "Like that?"

She was a fast learner.

He moved to stand a couple feet directly in front of her, "Exactly like that. Now let's move onto the next one." Oliver placed his hand on her shoulder, fingers curling over the blade, "Grabbing the shoulder gives me the chance to punch you in the face, disorient you."

Felicity leaned her head back a little, "Should I be worried that you're going to punch me in the face?"

Oliver chuckled, "No."

"Ok, what next?"

"Your going to use the arm of your free shoulder," Oliver instructed, "Bring it over and grab the hand on your shoulder." Her fingers curled over the top of his hand. There was a smile on her face. She was enjoying being here with him doing this.

"Now I want you to push it as if pushing off your shoulder. My hand will slide a bit off your shoulder and you'll lift up the arm of the trapped shoulder, lock it into the back of the elbow and drive to it down and to the opposite side of your body. My body should follow as it's twisted down."

Now this was more difficult to follow through with. They had to run through it multiple times before she was quick enough to push his body off to the side. When she lifted her knee and lightly tapped him under the chin with it he knew she'd got it.

They detangled from each other and fell into an easy rhythm after that, bodies falling into line with each other as they tried move after move. He wanted to make sure that she was able to protect herself from others. Able to get away from anyone hurting her if the opportunity ever rose. After the way that Anatoly had practically prowled around them like weak prey, he wanted to make sure that she was ok all the time.

Training was different for both of them.

For Oliver training had always been rough, silent, and demanding. He would end up bruised and battered but ready for another day. And for Felicity training with Sara and occasionally Roy, had always been structured, little time for laughs if any. But this, the back and forth &amp; push and pull between them training together…was fun. And that was just putting it lightly. It felt like they were playing with each other. Circling one another and snapping at each other with words and gentle pokes and prods while working on her defenses. He'd even managed to find a ticklish spot at the side of her neck when he'd hooked his chin over her shoulder and tipped his head to speak in her ear. Apparently his chin had dug in just at the right spot and boom, her shoulder had come up and she'd broken off into peels of laughter before throwing him off.

Neither wanted to stop.

They were in the middle of a move when Felicity's feet got tangled with his and they went tumbling down on the training mat. With an 'oomph' Oliver landed on top of Felicity and knocked the breath out of her.

Oliver hauled his upper body off of her. He was worried that he'd hurt her but…she was smiling. Eyes full of laughter.

"Hi," she said breathlessly. Him on top of her like this was a very nice reminder of the last time they had been pressed up together and the way he'd made her feel. She patted his bare arm, "Wow. You're sweaty. And hot."

He grinned, lowering his body again on top of hers in response. Her smile dimmed, eyes darkening. He liked it, "Hi."

Felicity's fingers curled in his sleeves, "You plan on letting me up anytime soon? You're not light you know?"

Oliver shifted his weight so his body was in line with hers. Hips flush against hers and chest just brushing her rising and falling breast, "No. I think I like where I am right now."

Felicity huffed playfully and settled into the training mat below her. He was a reassuring weight against her and he didn't want him to move. She wasn't going to fight him when she kind of didn't want him to move either.

Oliver's face turned smug as he gazed down at her, "Ok, I won't move then."

"I just said that out loud didn't I?"

"Yup."

Felicity grumbled and turned her face away to hide the blush on her cheeks. Oliver used the opportunity to swoop down and place an open mouthed kiss on her neck. It was like setting off a spark in her. In him. Slowly she turned back to him, eyes wide and wanting. Playfulness gone as she stared up at him.

Shifting his weight over to one arm he brought his hand up and bent two fingers, running his knuckles delicately over her cheek.

The smile she gave him was breathtaking. He closed the mere inches between them. And then there they were on the training mats, kissing. It was cautious at first despite the energy that had been crackling between them since the beginning of their session. Soft and coaxing didn't last long. When she opened her mouth and trailed her tongue over the seam of his lips, a moan slipped from his mouth. Then it was open mouths, warm tongues, biting teeth across soft lips with a combination of wandering hands carding through hair and over skin.

Oliver felt like she was kissing him stupid against these drab training mats where all that had happened where intense training sessions. He was vulnerable, open to her. And at first he had thought that it would make him weak, make him lose his focus like this. But it made him strong. It made him fight for this. For her.

Her hands moved from his arms to fist the back of his shirt. Turning her head she pushed up into his mouth, nipping his lower lip, before going back to dip inside his mouth. His kiss was the kind that when your lips met you felt it everywhere.

The door of the gym slammed open behind them and Oliver turned around quicker than she had ever seen, body protectively crouching above hers, looking for the culprit of the loud noise. His eyes landed on Anya and narrowed.

Anya held her hands up in surrender, eyes wide, "_I apologize Captain. The door got away from me._"

Oliver didn't know if he believed her or not. Slowly rising to his feet he kept his eyes on Anya, body still standing protectively in front of Felicity. "_What is it_?" he snapped in a cold voice.

Anya folded her hands in front of her and said, "_Dinner is ready Captain_."

"_Inform Nicholai we will be down shortly_," Oliver replied curtly. He didn't know how long Anya had been standing there peeking through the door before slamming the door to get their attention.

Anya dipped her head in understanding before turning to leave.

Felicity peeked curiously around Oliver's legs and watched as Anya bowed her head and quickly walked away, this time making sure the heavy door closed gently. When the click was audible in the room Oliver turned to Felicity and helped her to her feet. The cold and collected look and voice he'd used with Anya melted away when he looked at her concerned face.

"How long do you think she was watching us?" Felicity asked, tucking her hair behind her ears. She was wary of what Anatoly's little spy was doing.

Feeling like the playful mood they'd been basking in was slipping away he searched for some way to hold it in place. He'd been doing that more often. Taking a chance he bent a little at the knees and wrapped his arms around her bottom, fingers lacing together there. Straightening back up quickly, she yelped and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"What are you doing?!" Felicity asked rapidly, holding him tight. She wasn't far off the ground, but she was holding on as if she was miles away from the ground.

Oliver leaned his head back to get a better look at her. "We've got to get to dinner. You look dead on your feet."

Felicity pinched his shoulder, "Hey! I look like a delicate flower."

Oliver turned to the door, Felicity still in his arms, "A delicate flower that got squished."

When they reached the door he turned for her to twist the knob and open the door. They stepped out into the hallway and Felicity leaned to the side so he could guide them without tripping up.

Felicity raised an eyebrow in a playful challenge, "By the big ol' Bratva Captain?"

He'd never heard someone say his title so lightheartedly, so easily. As if it wasn't a big deal.

"Behave," he muttered teasingly as he flexed his fingers against her bottom in retaliation. She jumped a little, holding on tighter to him.

He wasn't letting her go. Not now. Not ever.

* * *

Oliver jolted awake, body springing from the bed and sending the weight on him toppling to the side. He was breathing fast, eyes wildly going around the room looking for 'the' threat. They were here. He saw them. He was sure of it.

After their training session they had been achy. A quick dinner had followed and they had jumped back into bed for a lazy finish to their day. Then 'they' were there. Dragging her away from him. He was sure of it. 'They' were there and he couldn't breathe, he couldn't move an inch as he cataloged the room in alarm.

The room was illuminated all of a sudden and he twirled around back to the bed.

Felicity was sitting there, eyes wide as she stared up at Oliver. He looked down and realized he was standing a couple feet from the bed. Her lips were moving but he couldn't hear a word of it. All he remembered was 'their' voices, their words. Her yelling.

When she shuffled over closer to him, Oliver closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath in. He wasn't there. Felicity and Oliver hadn't been anywhere else besides their room. It was a dream.

It was like his ears popped, an onslaught of noise hitting him.

"Oliver are you ok?" Felicity repeated, worried, "Hey, look at me, please?"

The 'please' got to him.

He looked up at her, muscles tense and hands clenched by his sides. Images were still flashing through his mind, "I'm ok."

Felicity shook her head, not believing his words for a second, "You don't look it. I need you to...breathe for me. You're shaking. Oliver please just relax your breathing. Slow down."

He followed her instructions, forcing himself to breathe. His eyes trailed over her entire form as his racing heart began to settle. It was a dream. She was ok.

"Ok, that's good. You're not shaking anymore," Felicity said, edging closer to his side of the bed, "You were dreaming."

Oliver swallowed, sharply nodding. Her eyes didn't leave him as he dug out his weapon and started walking around the room. He needed to check. He needed to see that the terror of his dream wasn't present here. The images were still fresh in his mind.

Felicity watched him from the bed as he checked every nook and cranny of their room. He had shot out of bed like a bat out of hell, sending her toppling to the other side of the bed and frightening her awake. He had been trembling before her voice broke through the haze and brought him back to her. Whatever he had dreamed about must have been bad to set him off like this.

When he was done with his perimeter check he came back and placed the gun in his nightstand. He slipped into bed next to Felicity and said nothing about what had torn him out of his dreams. He avoided her inquiring eyes. He didn't want her to see his fear.

"Oliver? You feel better now?"

Oliver tried to turn away from her but Felicity wouldn't have any of that. She scooted closer and draped her body over his side, nose grazing his shoulder blade.

"Nope. Friends don't let friends freak out like that from a nightmare and then come to bed with their backs turned with no explanation. And since we're more than friends…," she used a hand to turn his face towards hers. He still looked shaken up, "…I need you to tell me what happened."

His gaze was hard and challenging but she didn't give up, fingers trailing over his cheek and body warm against his as she shifted closer to him. Closing his eyes for a instance he turned into her hand, the panic still present, "It was you."

"What about me?" Felicity coaxed gently.

"It was you and me. I don't know where we were...or how we got there. But you were there."

She pulled back when he turned his body towards hers. She settled in close to him and he pulled a long breathe into his lungs before continuing.

"It was Anatoly," Oliver confessed, watching Felicity's eyes widen. "Fuck...I don't know how he found out about...everything we're doing but he did. Then she appeared and dragged you away. You were screaming…and I couldn't get to you."

The chill that ran through him as he recollected his dream moved onto her, "She?"

Oliver hesitated again before answering. She had dragged Felicity away from him and there was nothing he could do to get her back. It was something he never wanted to feel again, "China White."

She stiffened. She had dreamt of that white haired woman before. That dream had sent her into a panic like the one Oliver had just experienced. She knew what Oliver had to be feeling; like someone had invaded the one place you thought was safe. Shaking off the memory of the dream she pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, "Well it was just a dream. They're not here. I'm here."

"I know. You're here," Oliver murmured, running his hand over her hair and kissing her again, "You're here." Maybe if he repeated it enough times the feeling of dread in his chest would disappear completely.

Felicity leaned down and pressed her forehead against his, giving him a moment. "I'm here," she whispered, "Say it again with me."

He repeated Felicity's words until he felt himself relax in her hold and the images began to fade. His hands came up to cup her cheeks and push her away slightly. He wanted to see all of her face. His gaze was soft, wondrous as the signs of a smile grew on his face.

"How'd you do that?" he asked.

"Do what?"

He tucked her hair behind her ears, his fingers lingering over the shell of her ears. The intimate touch made her smile. "Make me smile," Oliver clarified, "Make me relax and forget."

A mischievous grin blossomed on her face and Oliver touched the corners of her mouth gently. He latched his thoughts onto that grin and what it meant to him: no more waking up from nightmares alone. He would wake up with someone he loved now.

She didn't look away, "I'm a wordsmith. You know all those times you glared at me to get me to shut up? Or just plainly told me to shut up?"

Oliver chuckled, his grin turning mischievous as well, "Yeah?"

"Well we could have avoided a lot of bickering and pain if you listened to me and my wordsmithing," Felicity answered, tapping her fingers against his chest playfully.

"That's not even a word," he teased.

Felicity laughed and smacked his chest, "So…feel better."

Oliver answered honestly, "Feel tired."

"But better?" she asked, the playful nature that had emerged between them slowly dwindled. She needed to make sure he was all right. Dreams like the one he'd had, lingered. With Oliver's help she had always been able to get past her nightmares. She wanted to make sure he knew that she was there for him when he had nightmares of his own.

"Yeah, much better," he replied. He glided his thumbs over her cheeks. The sheer panic of waking up like that had disappeared, even though he still felt an ache in his chest from it.

Felicity bit her lip before blurting out, "Have you ever read the Hobbit?"

He hadn't been expecting that. Oliver tilted his head to the side in confusion, "No."

Felicity scrambled off of him, leaving the hands that were holding her face empty. Raising himself on his elbows he watched her move towards her nightstand on her hands and knees. She looked utterly ridiculous and endearing.

Without getting off the bed she leaned down off the side of the bed, her bottom sticking up in the air a little. Oliver's eyes trailed up the back of her thighs. His mouth went dry and he shifted uncomfortably.

"Yes!" Felicity said when she found her old and weathered copy of The Hobbit. She whirled around and returned to Oliver the same way she'd left him, book in hand.

She brandished it to him with the most innocent smile that made any thoughts of her pale thighs fly right out the window. This wasn't the time.

"What do you...," Oliver began but was cut off by Felicity.

"I know you said that your mom used to read to you and it would..." Felicity looked down bashfully before looking back up at him. She'd never shared this part of herself before. Not even with Cooper and she had known him for years, "…chase away your nightmares. I was wondering if I could read this to you?"

He blinked at her, at a loss for words once more. Just when he thought he loved every inch of her…she surprised him like this, making him love her more.

Thinking that maybe she had overstepped or something, Felicity pulled back, "Maybe another time. I..."

Oliver cut her off this time, wanting to immediately stomp out any doubts that were brewing in her mind, "Yes. Let's do it. I mean you reading. I...I'd like it."

Felicity grinned and relaxed, "Catching my rambling aren't you?"

Reaching forward he grabbed her hips, his fingers curling over her and deposited her on the bed next to him. Felicity huffed in surprise when he yanked her down so her head was resting on her pillow. He then shuffled down the bed and placed his head below her breasts, his cheek against her stomach.

"What are you doing?" Felicity asked in amusement.

Oliver pulled the covers over their legs and threw an arm over her waist, "Getting comfortable for you to read."

Cupping the back of his head she tried to keep calm. The Bratva Captain had his head resting on her stomach, ready for her to tell him a story. Her stomach jumped when the tips of his fingers slid under the edge of her shirt, their warm weight settling there.

He nuzzled her shirt. The ache was gone, "Ready?"

Felicity sunk into the bed, opening the book with one hand. His weight was soothing and she didn't want to stop running a comforting hand over his head, "I'm ready."

Oliver closed his eyes; letting the crinkle of old pages being turned settle him along with her calming touch. 'It was just a nightmare. It wasn't real' he repeated to himself. Felicity was here with him and he wouldn't let anyone touch her. No one would take away his happy ending.

"Chapter 1: An Unexpected Party," her voice was smooth and comforting as she began to read, "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole..."

He fell asleep before she even finished the chapter.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter! Started all nice and sweet and then BAM! Nightmare. **

**Arrow is back tonight and we're super excited! Apparently its going to get crazier so we hope we've helped you a bit. See you next week!**

**Love,**

**PoisonAngelMuse &amp; TheAlternativeSource**


	13. Home

**The Crow Chapter 13 – Home**

**Disclaimer:** We own nothing but our plot and our own characters. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to DC Comics and CW Television. All rights over this idea and its concepts belong to us. This work is intended for the private enjoyment of the reader and is not to be shared on any other sites (besides AO3 and FF) or events without our express permission.

* * *

**A/N: Hi everyone! Thank you all for the amazing support. We love you guys so much and we can't wait to see Diggle and Lyla finally tie the knot (again). Lol. Also those suspenders on Oliver and Felicity looking fantastic. Yummy!**

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**Link for The Crow Soundtrack - /lyra-aureus/the-crow-official-soundtrack**

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**Music – Home my Phillip Phillips**

* * *

_Hold on to me as we go__  
__As we roll down this unfamiliar road__  
__And although this wave is stringing us along__  
__Just know you're not alone__  
__Cause I'm gonna make this place your home_

_Settle down, it'll all be clear__  
__Don't pay no mind to the demons__  
__They fill you with fear__  
__The trouble it might drag you down__  
__If you get lost, you can always be found_

_Just know you're not alone__  
__'Cause I'm gonna make this place your home_

_Settle down, it'll all be clear__  
__Don't pay no mind to the demons__  
__They fill you with fear__  
__The trouble it might drag you down__  
__If you get lost, you can always be found_

_Just know you're not alone__  
__'Cause I'm gonna make this place your home_

Felicity wasn't sure when the mixed sound of groans and slapping flesh became second nature to her. It had become her personal soundtrack for when she was immersed into her work. It made her focus, and in a way it relaxed her to know that they were all safe together, surrounded by the concrete and steel of the foundry. This place had become her second home and the people in it had become her second family. She'd do anything in her power to protect them. Her eyes flickered over to them where Oliver, Diggle, Sara and Roy danced around each other.

Felicity promised herself that this time she would not fail.

Days like today made it all feel worthwhile; when they were all together, all focused on the same thing. To survive together.

She couldn't stop thinking about the family that was taken away from her in moments like this too. How Sin had the same dark sense of humor as Roy and Sara's bad girl vibe. How Chuck and Rory would go crazy having a secret lair right bellow a club, not to mention how they both would be half, well totally, in love with Sara. Cooper would hate it, she was sure. He wouldn't be able to stand Diggle and Oliver. He would hate the chain of command and not being the leader of the group. After all Cooper was a prima donna, and he loved the spotlight, no matter how much he denied it. Well...used to deny it. She could actually picture Cooper and Oliver bickering.

The thought of her two families together was bittersweet. She wished she could have it. But she knew that it would never happen. They were gone. This was it. This was her new family.

Closing her eyes, she tried to let go of the dark and heavy emotions that had suddenly bloomed inside of her. There was no point in getting lost in all of it. There was nothing she could do to bring them back, but she could work to make sure their deaths wouldn't be in vain.

She raised her eyes from her monitors to the training area where Oliver, Diggle and Roy were now circling each other. They had been training for hours. Now they had wood batons in their hands, Roy and Diggle working against Oliver. To be honest, Felicity didn't think it was a fair fight, but Oliver seemed to handle himself pretty well. It made Felicity think about how many times Oliver must have found himself in that situation in real life. If the amount of scars he had on his body were any indication, they were way too many times to count and Felicity hated knowing that the man she loved would carry those scars for the rest of his life. She wasn't even thinking about the ones that adorned his skin, but the ones that he had deep inside – the ones that had caused endless nightmares – the ones that made him shut down and hide the man he really was on occasion. Those scars made him The Crow.

A loud groan made Felicity look over at Sara, who had given up on working out and was now lying down on the small couch that they had moved next to her workstation.

"Are you still in pain?" Felicity asked her friend.

"Those damn meds are taking a life time to work," she groaned, as Felicity stood to grab a blanket from the small closet near by. Something warm settled in her when Felicity covered her body with it. Tucking it under her chin she curled around it facing Felicity's workstation, "Thanks."

"I guess sometimes it sucks being a girl," Felicity teased, making Sara burst out into laughter. Felicity joined her.

"Laying here really doesn't match my badass persona," Sara said as Felicity sat back in her chair.

"Tell that to your uterus," Felicity said, making Sara laugh, one hand curling over her stomach, "Even badass bodyguard/members of the Bratva have cramps from time to time."

"Well these pills better get a move on. Can't let Roy think I'm going soft."

Felicity grinned, looking over quickly to wear Oliver was defending himself with a skill and grace that was simply beautiful and mind numbly hot at the same time, "I don't think Roy would ever think that."

Sara huffed, "As if you're looking at Roy."

Felicity tipped her head in confusion, "What?"

Sara shrugged, "We both know that you've had your eyes glued on Oliver ever since he took off his shirt."

Felicity sputtered, not knowing how to respond. She was right. She had seen Oliver work out a handful of times at the foundry. But today was a special occasion since he'd decided to take off his shirt and flaunt that body. Maybe it had slowed down her work today…just maybe. But it's not like she was going to complain or tell him to put his shirt back on.

She was just opening her mouth to try to save herself from Sara's knowing look when her monitors went off. They're heads both looked over at them in surprise. Felicity immediately moved over to scan through the information popping up on her screen.

"What is it?" Sara asked worried, moving to sit up on the couch.

"There's been a major bust at the docks," Felicity said in awe, fingers tapping away and opening more windows. Her eyes focused in on one local news article on her screen.

She felt strangely proud at what she was seeing. "Guys! Guys! You better come check this out!" Felicity shouted, as the boys stopped their fight to look over at her.

Being closer, Sara got to her first. "Is that?" Sara asked, shocked to see what it was on the screen.

"The Triad," Felicity whispered, as Oliver, Roy and Diggle came to surround the desk as she hit play on a live news feed.

"_TONIGHT THE FBI AND DEA BUSTED THE LARGEST DRUG SHIPMMENT IN THE PAST TEN YEARS IN STARLING CITY._

_AN ANONYMOUS TIP SENT THE STARLING CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT TO INVESTIGATE AN OPERATION THAT LED TO THE ARREST OF MORE THAN TWENTY MEMBERS BELIEVED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE CHINESE GANG KNOWN AS THE TRIAD. _

_THE SHIPMENT THAT WAS BELIEVED TO ONLY BE CARRYING DRUGS ALSO WAS CARRYING OVER A HUNDRED ILLEGAL CHINESE IMMIGRANTS. IT IS REPORTED THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION WILL BE INVESTIGATING THIS BLATANT HUMAN TRAFFICKING. WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION LATER TONIGHT."_

"Oh my God," Felicity said, horrified. "I thought they couldn't get any more evil. That there was nothing they could do that would make me hate them more. I don't even know why I'm surprised. If I believed in Hell, China White would have a reserved place for her there." Right along with Anatoly Felicity thought.

"The Triad is known for not being merciful," Oliver said, crossing his arms against his chest, as he watched the images Felicity tabbed through. "They are expanding their business as it seems," Oliver said darkly. He didn't voice out loud that he wondered if Anatoly knew and let it happen under Oliver's watch to keep the peace.

"You've got to have no heart to do shit like that," Roy said, clearly disturbed by the images dirty and hungry looking men, women and children being pulled out of shipping containers, their hands rubbing at their wrists where they were obviously chained not moments before.

"The Feds will be all over this case now. Human trafficking is something they take very seriously. Not to mention Homeland Security and the Department of Immigration. They may even get Interpol into it too since it's clearly connected to the Triad," Diggle said, running his hand over his face as he gauged the information, "We need to be more careful, make sure none of this will lead back to us. Especially after Sara fed that information to her dad."

Oliver turned to Sara. All of this was good news, grand news. But they needed to know more, "Sara, we need to know more about this."

"I'm on it," Sara said, grabbing her phone and thumbing down until she found her fathers name.

"Are you ok?" Oliver asked as he moved a hand to grip Felicity's shoulder.

"It's just so much… I…I never expected this," Felicity said, shock and horror at the images in front of her, clear on her face. They had taken a step forward in their journey, their fight. This just was an unexpected turn of events, "I mean…when I got that intel all I thought there would be were drugs. Not human beings."

"We've always known they were involved in some very dangerous activities. Just not the extent of human trafficking," Oliver said, giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze, "They do not care who they hurt to get what they want. And someone paid a lot of money to have these people brought in, even the children. We need you to find out who wanted this shipment. Can you do that?"

Felicity took a deep breath and turned back to her computers. She nodded, "I can. I'm on it."

Oliver didn't move away, if anything he stepped closer. "Hey, you saved those people today," Oliver said, trying to reassure her. He didn't like the disheartened look on her face.

"I hope that's true," Felicity said, overwhelmed.

"It is," Oliver repeated. Felicity placed a hand on the one on her shoulder as she typed for a couple beats with one hand. They all stopped when Sara spoke up.

"Daddy? It's Sara," Sara spoke into the phone as they all fell silent and she put the call on speaker.

"Baby, I can't talk right now," Detective Lance said on the other side of the line. He sounded distracted and they could hear a clamor of movement around him.

"Dad, I just watched the news. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Lance said. They heard the sound of police sirens and a car door closing.

"Those people…is it true what they're saying? That they were going to be sold?" Sara asked hesitantly.

"Sorry I couldn't hear you. I'm in the car now. But yes," Detective Lance answered, his voice a bit strained. They all could tell how much it was affecting him, "The FBI and the DEA are going crazy over it. Calling all these other agencies to come in. Apparently this has been going on for some time."

"How did they found out?" Sara asked her, sounding innocent and just curious for her father's safety, "The news said it was an anonymous tip."

"Apparently there was a good Samaritan around. A file containing the time and location of the shipment was sent to me a few days ago. At first I didn't believe it, after all, how could someone got that intel. Decided to check it out anyway and you can imagine my surprise when I identified known members of the Triad floating around here, watching. Didn't take long after that to get the force down here. They're now involved with human trafficking. Apparently the drug cartel is not enough for them."

"Dad, are you saying you've got proof that it was the Triad?"

"I know it was. There were at least a dozen of China White men out there. I arrested some of those scumbags myself in the past. But they won't talk, they never do," Lance said, frustrated. "Things are different now though. This isn't just a local thing. The Feds are here and the only way they'll be getting out is by taking a deal."

"So you will be able to go after the Triad then?"

It was only for a split second but it felt like the air had been sucked out of the room as they waited for his answer.

"The FBI is working on it. So far we can't connect it as an official Triad operation and not just some rogue group trying to make some extra cash. The DEA and the Feds are all worked up and looking into leads. They're not leaving until they find out who wanted to get these people to Starling City. Fingers crossed that we get our man. Or woman," Quentin said with an edge to his voice, China White being the girl was left unspoken.

"Daddy, they are dangerous. Please be careful," Sara said, clearly worried about her father.

"I will be. Sara, I've got to go," Lance said, a tapping noise near him. It was probably an officer with something else for him, "I'll call you later. Love you, sweetheart."

"Love you too, daddy," Sara said right back as Lance ended the call.

Roy broke the silence, "Well that wasn't much." Sara shot him a small glare and he held up his hands. "I mean it wasn't a lot of information we can go on. I'm sure your father will be ok, Sara."

Sara settled back into the couch, "I hope so. If the Triad finds out my dad is responsible for the bust, even anonymously…I don't want to think about what they might do with him."

"I'm monitoring Detective Lance calls thanks to you. If something new pops up, we'll know," Felicity supplied helpfully, "The Feds will be taking over the case, Sara. I'm sure your father will be safe while they stay in Starling City to figure this out."

"We'll watch him too," Oliver assured, "This is a good thing. Bringing people in from the outside to check and take down what China White has."

"But why would you watch out for my dad? He's not part of the brotherhood," Sara said, not understanding what Oliver wanted to get at.

"And you're part of this family. By protecting him we protect you. We will watch Detective Lance," Oliver said, looking at Roy and Diggle who nodded quickly in agreement.

"Thank you," Sara said, grateful as Oliver smiled at her from Felicity's side.

Felicity only hesitating a second before speaking up, "Oliver's right. This is the first blow to take China White down. I'm running some additional programs, trying to decrypt some of the files that I got last week. I'm sure I can find some more information connected to this. And the sooner we get this, the sooner your father will be safe, Sara. We'll stop them, I promise."

"I know," Sara said, returning Felicity's reassuring smile, "Just surprised, you know?"

"What do you mean?" Felicity asked in confusion, "Surprised that they had people in there."

Sara shook her head, "No. Surprised that it took us so long to figure out that there was another way. Wouldn't be able to do it without you."

Felicity felt pride well in her when everyone agreed. She didn't know to say besides, "Thank you."

When no else knew what to say Oliver stepped in.

"Well, I need to head on upstairs. I've got a meeting with some Bratva associates. But call me if there is any news, ok? If you find out anything in those files of yours," Oliver said, giving Felicity's shoulder one final squeeze before stepping away to grab a bag by the training mat. He headed over to the stairs with Diggle at his heels with a bag of his own.

"Will do boss," Roy answered for all of them, moving to sit down on top of one of the metal tables they had in the foundry.

"Oliver," Felicity called out, shooting out of her chair and walking towards him.

Oliver paused at the bottom of the stairs and turned to her. Diggle continued up the stairs. "Yeah?"

She stopped right in front of him and took his hand. The gesture was sweet and made him want to drag her in close. But they had promised to keep the PDA to an acceptable level.

She bit her lip before muttering, so only he could hear, "Be careful, ok?" No matter how much she wanted to put China White behind bars, she wouldn't risk Oliver for it. She wouldn't survive losing him too, "I know we didn't expect the human trafficking and I know you well enough now to know that you're wondering if Anatoly knew about her side business. We just have to keep on being patient and take our time. Just…please be careful."

His shoulders relaxed as he pulled her reddening lip out of her mouth with his thumb. He didn't know why he was surprised that she knew. "Always, baby," he assured, softly pecking her on the lips, lips lingering for a bit longer.

When he pulled back he looked over at Sara and Roy as he took the first steps of the stairs, "You two take care of my girl."

* * *

Hours later, Felicity was on her fifth or was it fourth, cup of coffee. Her mind was going over all the different scenarios of what might be going on with Oliver upstairs, the police investigation and the poor Chinese immigrants in those shipping containers. She felt frustrated at her lack of progress even though they'd just had a big break. She wanted to keep the ball rolling but there was only so much she could do until she reconstructed what she'd found.

So the following hours were spent glaring at her screen, drinking coffee and pacing the length of the foundry until her feet hurt and she chucked her heels to the side.

"Felicity, you're going to create a permanent groove in the floor if you keep on doing that," Sara commented, watching as her friend nervously paced. When she was on the other side of the foundry Sara scooped up Felicity's coffee and dumped it, "No more coffee for you."

Felicity narrowed her eyes at Sara but didn't say anything, "I can't sit still. I feel like I'm not doing anything."

"Your programs are running and doing their thing. You're checking them periodically to make sure everything's ok. You did your part," Sara said, trying to calm Felicity down.

"Blondie, if you feel like letting go of some steam, I'm always here to help," Roy said, moving away from the training dummy he was working on to stand next to Sara, watching her pace.

"No thanks. I'm not particularly in the mood to be your punching bag today, Roy," was her curt reply. She'd been getting better, practicing in the foundry and a couple times with Oliver at home, but she was no where near as good as Roy. She caught the tale end of how she referred to the mansion as 'home' and it calmed her down a bit. It was her home.

Roy put a hand to his chest and faked being injured, "You wound me like that, Blondie. I promise to take it easy on you. Plus let's be honest. You're getting better."

"Roy," Sara warned as she plopped down on the couch and went back to looking down at her tablet. She was scanning the news for more updates on the bust even though Felicity's computer would probably pick it up first.

Felicity was about to shoot back a smart comment at Roy about his lack of training skills, when a notification appeared on her computer screen. Jumping in excitement she plopped down at her workstation. The broken files collected from the Triad had finally been reconstructed. All of them. She opened the first one quickly and paused. It was a list of bank account numbers.

"Someone call Oliver," Felicity said, hands flying over her keyboard as her eyes scanned the screen.

"Why? Did you find something?" Roy asked eagerly.

"I think we may have hit the jackpot," Felicity said, as she started cross-referencing the names on the list. This was good. One of these names would be the next step in knocking down China White down a peg.

She barely heard a word that Roy said on the phone to Oliver, or the commotion in the foundry a half an hour later when Oliver and Diggle returned. She'd barely taken her eyes off the screen as she took a break from cross-referencing and began scanning the other files. She'd found shipping manifests, rental agreements and tons of emails. She worked in silence, feeling the frustration being replaced by excitement.

Oliver sat patiently next to her in a chair he'd pulled up. He wasn't sure if she even knew he was there. But she looked excited. What ever she'd found was good.

"Felicity?" he asked her cautiously. She jumped a little at being disturbed, blinked and then turned her body to him, "What did you find out?"

She smiled at Oliver as she collected her thoughts and prepared to tell him what she'd found. "You know that last week I got a lot of data from the Triad. Most was broken and incomplete. So I passed through a couple programs I had to try and reconstruct it, maybe even try to fill in the gaps without losing the core data that I'd picked up…"

Oliver tried not to smile but was failing. She was rambling; eyes bright and happy as she got on a roll. "Felicity…you're rambling tech. Slow down and just tell us what you got."

"Right," she said, pushing her glasses back in place as Oliver scooted closer to her, "My programs have been working through this data for days. I think I've finally found something." With a couple clicks she opened a couple windows. "From what I can tell they're bank account numbers; 20 of them. Most from Switzerland and other countries that don't care who you are as long as you give them your money. I also found some more shipping manifests, some rental agreements and tons of emails."

"So what does mean?" Diggle cut in.

"It means that the Triad is pushing money through multiple accounts and jumping them from bank to bank," Oliver said as he peered at the information there. There was something pulling at him. There was something familiar, "It's for money laundering. The Bratva implements something similar. See here." He pointed at three of the account numbers and the activities listed below, "Three banks with multiple transfers from multiple banks. All in comparatively small amounts to avoid suspicion and being identified."

"Are you telling me this is part of an accounts spreadsheet for the Triad?" Roy asked, "And how are you going to identity them?"

"First question: yes. Second question: we'll identify them by cross-referencing the information we got to make the cargo bust happen with other activity in these three main accounts."

"And you can do that?" Diggle asked incredulously.

Felicity grinned, "I can." She closed and opened some more windows, "Out of the three I was looking into, two had shell corporations attached to them that ran through about four different countries before leading back to Starling City. China White kept major records. If this is me just scraping the top of her information heap I can't even imagine when I really break through!"

"So did you identify the account holder?" Oliver asked, confused.

"I'm not sure it was just one, Oliver."

"What do you mean?"

"The shell corporations and these account numbers held by China White didn't lead to her. It led to Albert Henriksen and Yung Lao," Felicity said as two men appeared on her screens.

Oliver leaned back in his chair, a look of surprise on his face, "I know those two."

Her eyes refocused on him, "How?"

"They're on the city council that I attend," he said casually. Felicity's eyes widened as if to say 'go on' and he continued, "The rich and political elites of Starling City meet yearly to talk about any projects we can take on to improve the city. Albert is a politician and Yung is the CEO of Lao Global and Logistics."

"Did you know they were in bed with China White?" Diggle asked him. They were all hanging off his every word. They were finally getting some traction.

"No, I had no idea. They never came across the Bratva's radar," Oliver said, frustrated and drumming his fingers on his armrests. "They never raised any suspicious. They looked like the real thing," Oliver hissed before asking, "Is the information solid?"

"Solid enough to raise suspicions since he owns the harbor where the ship left from China. He didn't use one of his own ships, lucky for him, but when I broke into his systems it said it'd come from there," Felicity said, looking at the information with a critical eye. All she needed was more time with this and she was sure that she'd find more, "Given time I could work on something else to break into their systems again. It's just going to take time."

Oliver shook his head and placed a hand on her elbow, pulling her so she'd turn from the computer. They already had enough for the time. Being greedy would be their downfall and he didn't want Felicity anywhere near that, "No. This is good. It's not solid information but you're right. It's enough to raise suspicions."

"What about the other guy? Henriksen?" Roy asked.

"He's just a city councilmen. Someone you wouldn't look at twice but is in a position of power. That's why no one has picked up on the fact he's dirty. But one things for sure. These two are getting a lot of money from whoever is in charge of this operation," Felicity said. Clearing her throat she finished with, "One guess at who it is."

Oliver moved his hand down her arm to hold Felicity's hand. An onslaught of memories hit them. They both knew who could cause this destruction, "China White."

"This is great and all but how are we going to make this stick? Make it valid for court? We need some more evidence so it can be handed over to the Feds or whomever my dad is probably working with right now. But like Oliver said, we need to take our time and do this right," Sara said, and Felicity knew she was right. After all, hacking was illegal, could get her into major trouble, and be hard to submit the evidence found. They need to find another way around this.

"We need more," Felicity stated, locking eyes with Oliver as he ran a soothing thumb over the back of her hand, "We've found more information but we need more. I don't know if this is enough."

"What if we bugged their phones?" Roy offered.

"I'm sure an illegal bugging of their phones still can't be submitted in court," Sara said, killing his idea.

"Then we need go in and find something else solid. Something that will connect them to China White," Oliver explained.

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Felicity asked, not hiding her frown, "It's not like we can just walk in there."

His smile turned a bit smug as he held her eyes. He now remembered what had bugged them about those two names, "Yeah we can."

The others sat back and watched the exchange between the two.

"How?"

"About three times a year the city council meets up at the residences of its members. Usually it's a gala of sorts for a benefit. This year it's for a children's hospital," Oliver explained easily, "And I'm pretty sure it's at Henriksen's home."

Silence followed his statement for a few beats.

"I've been to his home before. It doesn't have the tightest security believe it or not and Henriksen likes to write things down. Probably keeps it in a safe or on a computer not connected to the internet," Oliver said. The corners of his lips turned up and he tugged at Felicity's hand, "Usually I just send a check to these things. But maybe this year I'll go. And I bet with a tech genius by my side we can bug his phone on the hunt for something real, something admissible in court."

"Hmmm tech genius, you say?" Felicity questioned with a smirk as she side eyed him. Their friends around them faded even more in the background.

He grinned at her, leaning into her space. This would be a chance for them to find more information on China White. But this would also be a chance to see Felicity in another part of his life. He had no doubt she'd fit in that one too, "So Felicity, what do you say? Want to be my hacker/girlfriend/partner, in a top secret mission at a gala?"

"Oliver, you know how to make a girl feel special," Felicity mused with a smile, as she leaned forward as well. She could see the playful yet seriousness that he was going for now, "It's a date."

* * *

The day was not going as Oliver expected it to go. He had planned to spend most of his Saturday lying down in bed with Felicity, or maybe going out to have a nice lunch date, or even enjoying the beautiful day out in the gardens. He had imagined a thousand possibilities to enjoy his weekend with the woman he loved. What he didn't expect was to have to spend countless hours with one of the men he despised the most in the planet – Viktor Varennikov.

He had met Viktor during his time in the Bratva School in Moscow. He was part of the group that used to constantly beat him up when he was a young teen. Of course that changed when Slade came into his life and Oliver took the path to become harder and darker, to become The Crow. Yet with his new position of power, he and Viktor still despised each other. But they acted civil towards each other as Oliver was the heir of the Pakhan and Viktor was an important part of the brotherhood, working under Slade back in Moscow. Which was the reason he was here today, interrupting his Saturday with Felicity.

"_We made sure to use different off shore accounts for this," _Viktor said, as she sat in front of Oliver's desk in his mansion office, "_I believe there were fifteen different accounts from Switzerland."_

"_That's a big amount,"_ Oliver commented, looking to the final value of the document, worry clear on his face.

"_Well, that's what your company is for isn't it? To help with this…situation,"_ Viktor said with a smug smile that made Oliver want to knock out his teeth. He also wanted to correct him; say his family's company was not made to launder money for the mob. That his father's legacy was the only thing he was proud of in his life. That the last thing he wanted was to taint it even more with the Bratva. But he couldn't say any of that. So Oliver bristled in silence, biting the inside of his cheek until he could taste the cooper of his blood on his tongue. He endured Viktor's presence and his shit, for the sake of keeping the balance, to make sure that he and his family would be safe. After all, Oliver didn't want to get into a Titans match with Anatoly.

"_It's a high amount. I can´t work on the total amount at once without bringing attention to Queen Consolidated,"_ he snapped, looking at the different files laid out in front of him that catalogued the money laundering done through QC.

"_I am sure you will find a way. It's a request from the Pakhan,"_ Viktor said smugly, running a hand down his goatee; seemingly enjoying that Oliver would do it because if he didn't trouble would fall on him.

"_I will talk to my uncle about this. He knows I am the one that decides how to work on this. On all the laundering. After all, I am sure he doesn't want the FBI breathing down our necks,"_ Oliver said, putting all papers together on top of his desk and slipping them into a folder. He and Anatoly would have to discuss this and the people he sent to speak to him. He would not risk himself and his family's company because his uncle was turning into a greedy bastard with no patience.

"_Suit yourself,"_ Viktor said, as if he had no care in the world. Actually, his tone was filled with challenge.

Oliver was about to say that Viktor needed a good reminder of who the Captain was, when a soft knock on the door made him hold his tongue. The door opened slowly and Felicity peeked inside. She looked beautiful. Her hair was curled and loose, gracefully framing her face. Her bright sundress made her look way too tempting for her own good. She finished the look off with bright red flats that made her legs look amazing. She was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen and she was his.

The mere thought of Felicity belonging to him made him happy and aroused; blood pumping in his veins that made him want to kick Viktor out. Felicity drove Oliver mad in every possible way and he simply couldn't get enough of her sometimes. Loving her was the most astonishing feeling he had ever felt and for some reason he was lucky enough that she felt the same for him. She was the best thing that ever happened to him. The love of his life. His reason to keep going.

He was becoming a sap for her.

And while Oliver was enamored by her beauty and her personality, and his love for her was true, he knew he wasn't the only one affected by the mix of innocence and sensuality that Felicity constantly presented. Glancing over quickly he saw Viktor eyes running over her, almost like he was undressing her with his eyes. The look of lust and the sly smirk on his face was enough to make Oliver's blood boil. He had no right to look at Felicity like that. She was his.

"Hi," Felicity said quietly, eyes connecting with him and smiling brightly. She had been looking forward to spending her Saturday with him. She missed him already, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your meeting."

"It's ok, Felicity," Oliver said with a small smile, trying to make sure that she knew she could come find him at any time.

"Sara and I are going to go and grab some lunch. Do you want me to bring you something?" she asked, almost shyly, clearly uncomfortable with the way Viktor was staring at her, his eyes leering.

"No, baby. I will ask Nicholai to make me something when I'm done with this," Oliver said softly, Viktor's eyes flickering to him in curiosity at his tone. He'd never heard The Crow talk so gently to someone.

"Ok, I will leave you to your meeting then," she said with a small smile.

"Take Andrei with you and Sara," Oliver requested and Felicity knew there was no arguing with him. Roy was on duty and Diggle was off today, which left Andrei to follow her and Sara around. A small part of Felicity thought Oliver was being paranoid, that she didn't need the extra security, that she was sure Sara could protect her if it came to that, but she knew Oliver wouldn't let it go in front of Viktor because it was a power play of sorts. He was showing Viktor that he would protect what was his. And so she accepted it, knowing it would give him some peace of mind.

"Ok," she agreed easily, tucking her hair behind an ear. "I'll see you later then, sweetheart." She preened at the small at the way he straightened in his seat and grinned at her.

"I'll see you later," he replied as she gently closed the door behind her and disappeared.

When Oliver looked back at Viktor he was smiling. It disturbed him. He hated the excitement in his eyes. He took a deep breath, trying to focus back on the matter at hand.

"_I didn´t know you kept your whores with you. A bold move if I may say so,"_ Viktor said, making Oliver grip his armrests tightly. He knew he was taunting him. After all he was sure that the news that The Crow now had a partner was all over the Bratva, _"I do hope you share. I would love to have a taste of those pretty pink lips."_

"_Excuse me?"_ Oliver fumed, throwing his pen down on top of his desk, feeling his calm nature starting to collapse.

"_The delicious blonde,"_ Viktor clarified, "_She looks a little too innocent for my tastes, but I do enjoy variety. It's the spice of life after all."_

Oliver slowly leaned forward in chair, eyes hard and unforgiving,_ "Viktor, I would think very carefully about your next words."_

"_Why is that?"_ he said in a challenge.

"_Because you are talking about the lady of this house_," Oliver said through clenched teeth, doing his best to not jump over the desk and kick his teeth out instead for saying such things about his Felicity, _"She is also the most important woman in my life. So I would be careful if I were you. I'm not that considerate to men whose eyes wander and leer at my woman."_

"_The Crow has a partner now?"_ Viktor asked, not even hiding his smirk, _"I do apologize, Captain. I just thought she was a call girl. No one that actually mattered. After all, she is not part of the brotherhood."_

"_Let's just finish this,"_ Oliver said ignoring his last rude comment, his entire body tense. He fought against his primal need to show Viktor what happened to those who disrespected him or Felicity. But Oliver knew he had to control himself. He tried to control his temper, as he opened another folder that they needed to talk about.

They finished the meeting half an hour later. Oliver putting away all the documents for Viktor in his suitcase and the rest in his safe. They both got to their feet and Oliver came around the desk to hand it to him.

"_You can tell Anatoly I will work on the transfer,"_ Oliver said, pushing his hands inside his suit pants pockets to give his hands something to do.

"_The Pakhan will be pleased."_

"_I am sure he will,"_ Oliver said briskly. The asshole needed to leave.

"_It's always doing business with you, Oliver,_" Viktor said, smiling and stepping away from his chair as he got up from the chair. He offered his hand to Oliver to shake, "_No hard feelings, right?"_

"_No hard feelings,"_ Oliver said with his best fake smile on as he shook Viktor's hand. Before the other man could even blink, Oliver moved quickly, turning Viktor's hand behind his back in a painful sharp angle and slamming him face down on the mahogany desk. Viktor cried out in pain as his head snapped and his nose broke; blood pouring out of it.

"_Fuck!"_ Viktor screamed in pain, as blood spread across his desk. Oliver leaned forward with his forearm pressed against he back on his neck.

He hadn't been expecting to do this but as soon as Oliver had touched Viktor's hand he knew that he couldn't let the man leave without a warning.

"_Do you really think you can speak like that about my girlfriend and just get away with it?"_ Oliver hissed, pressing Viktor's head harder into the desk as the other man yelped in agony. Oliver took the hand pressed against the back of his neck and removed it, grabbing Viktor's raven hair and crashing his head once more into the desk; this time a bit more forceful. Oliver was sure he heard another crunch; his broken nose giving away a bit more.

"_FUCK! Let me go!"_ Viktor groaned in pain, bracing himself against the desk, as he tried to buck Oliver off. It was in vain.

"_Do you think I'd just let you go and look at her like that? Your filthy eyes leering at her? I should make sure you never see anything ever again in your miserable life!" _Oliver fumed, not releasing his grip for one second, as the other man groaned in pain. Apparently all of Viktor's smirks and grins were a cover for a pitiful and simpering man.

"_Please, no!"_ Viktor begged, his body trembling, caged behind Oliver. He knew exactly what The Crow was capable of. He had seen it many times. But he never thought he would have the guts to move against one of his own brothers.

Keeping his hold he swiped a sharp letter opener off the desk and held it in front of Viktor's face. Viktor stilled as Oliver slowly ran the opener down his face – from the his right eye down to his throat – letting him know exactly how close he was to ending his useless existence.

"_Captain! Please, please!"_ Viktor begged, as the sharp blade danced against his neck. _"Forgive me! I won´t ever do this again!"_

"_Oh Viktor, I'm making sure you won't," _Oliver threatened. This man was weak and was learning his lesson. He just needed a little extra push.

"_No, no, please!"_ Viktor begged, trying to free himself from the hold that Oliver had on him. But it was useless. He was trapped.

Oliver pressed the pointed end against Viktor's throat, nicking his skin, a drop of blood forming.

"_Consider this a gift, Viktor,"_ Oliver growled against his ear. He was a breath away from killing him. Felicity kept him from doing it, _"This will be the last time you will show your face in my home. You won´t ever come back to Starling City. You won't look at Felicity ever again. You won´t even dare to breath the same air that she does. Do you understand me?"_

"_Yes,"_ Viktor groaned in pain. He went to nod but stopped himself when the blade pressed closer.

"_Yes what?" _

"_Yes, Captain," _Viktor corrected.

"_Now get out of my sight!"_ Oliver shouted, dropping the letter opener and grabbing Viktor by the hair, pulling him up and pushing him towards the door. Roy appeared at the open door with his gun in hand and Oliver pushed Viktor out of his office and down onto his knees, "_If I ever see you again in my city, I will kill you."_

* * *

Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting the headache forming there. Today hadn't been a good day. Sure it had started well, waking up in bed with Felicity, nuzzling the back of her neck and placing kisses there until she woke up. But as soon as he lifted off the bed he felt like his day had continuously soured.

The board had given Walter almost immediate approval for his new project in England. The plan was to have Walter in the UK by next month to get things rolling before his daughter started school there. He knew that Walter could do the project. Had no doubt. But that didn't stop him from worrying about Walter being away from him. Walter was like family to him; someone he could trust, a confidant in all things QC and someone who knew his family. And now he would be across the ocean in a month's time.

He felt like he was losing something and that bugged him. He was The Crow. Strong willed, feared. He'd kept his distance when he'd arrived in Starling City, despite his certainty that Walter would treat him fairly and was trustful. But somehow, over the years, Walter had managed to burrow himself into Oliver's cold heart. And here he was worrying over this man he'd known for half his life.

To top it off, Walters new project, was a step in a different direction for QC. For the longest time they'd kept in the same business that his father had run with the Bratva's money laundering holding QC up from behind the scenes. And this new project was something that the Bratva would not have its fingers in. It would be clean and new…and Oliver didn't know how he felt about it.

In some way was he working towards a life without the Bratva by agreeing to have Walter across the ocean? Was he moving away from Bratva, taking a chance, like Diggle had suggested for something more with Felicity? Was he doing just that without even realizing it?

After he'd dealt with Walter's eventual departure and had lunch with the man, he'd spent the rest of the day dealing with all the asinine and stupidly mundane things about QC like signing documents left and right and returning calls. He kind of enjoyed it even though he'd never tell anyone. Well maybe Felicity.

Someone cleared their throat and he looked up, startled. He hadn't even realized he'd entered their room. As soon as he'd finished his last bit of paper work he'd left QC and made his way home to Felicity.

Speaking of Felicity, she was sitting across their room in the sitting area. Oliver faltered for a step when he caught sight of the state of their room. She had pushed the couch and the sitting chairs to the side and managed to collect all the pillows from this room and probably all the rooms in this wing, to create a mega pillow sitting area. Her legs were stretched out on the couch with a book on her lap, right in front of the pillow area.

What was most surprising is that there was a small table in the midst of the pillow area that had wine, platters of food, candy and chocolates. She even had some ice-cream in an ice bucket meant for wine.

"What's all this?" he asked in surprise. He could feel the smile that was stretching across his face. He hadn't even realized he was smiling.

Felicity swung her legs off the couch and left the book behind as she hopped through the pillow area. "Hi, I just…" she almost tripped over a pillow but kept on going and reached him. He practically threw his case and jacket on the bed and met her halfway, pulling her into his arms, "wanted to surprise you. Hi." Her grin was welcoming and pleased.

He kissed her plush mouth, tasting her before saying, "Hi. So what's all this?"

"I wanted to surprise you," was her quick reply, "Maybe even celebrate a teeny bit for helping those people out and taking China White down a little. But primarily…I just wanted to have a good night with you. Maybe…" Felicity paused and ducked her head down shyly.

Oliver nudged her with his nose and she raised her head, "Tell me."

Fiddling with his shirt buttons she said, "I thought maybe we could start like a weekly thing. Something for us."

He swallowed, the gesture hitting a tender spot inside. She wanted to do a weekly thing with him. The last person he'd done something like that with had been…his sister.

"So…" she cut into his thoughts.

Oliver shook off the pain of thinking of his family and replied, "Yes. I like this. Thank you."

She felt butterflies flutter down low into her stomach at his thanks. She teased his lip, giving it a little nip and making butterflies erupt in his stomach as well, "Good. Now I'm going to need you to change out of these clothes."

"Ohhh," Oliver crooned. They hadn't really done anything since that night where they'd gotten themselves off. They were taking their time. They'd both been a bit anxious to come back to that place, "Out of these clothes?"

Felicity unbuttoned a couple buttons, grinning saucily at him. She knew what he was thinking. She couldn't stop thinking about it too, "Well how about you change into the clothes I've laid out on the bed and we'll see where the night goes. Deal?"

His hands joined hers in unbuttoning his shirt, "Deal."

Felicity stepped away from him and jumped through the pillow pile. He watched her go and didn't move to change until she settled in the sea of pillows and began messing with the plates on the small table there.

He'd never changed so fast in his life; the suit being thrown over the back of an armchair and the linen pants and v-neck she'd laid out for him, replacing it. Also he might have made a show of taking off his clothes for Felicity who was staring at him, unashamed.

Hopping over to her he settled on a pillow next to her and in front of the low hanging table, the couch at his back. Now closer, he could see that she had two plates covered on either side of the table with small bowls of treats spread out around the laptop in the center of the table.

"What are we doing?" he asked curiously. He'd never done something quite like this.

"Well," Felicity began as she tugged down on her dress a little before giving up and crossing her legs indian style and leaving a surprising amount of flesh visible. She had planned this on a whim when Sara had commented that he'd had a bad day at QC via Diggle. She'd asked Sara to take her home earlier than usual and dismissed her for the day. That didn't mean that Sara actually left her. She'd sat in the kitchen and made idle chit chat with her while she padded around barefoot and made Oliver dinner. Apparently it was something that Sara had never seen and wanted to nail down the moment in her memory. Felicity wanted to nail it down too. She'd never done this before but it felt right. It felt like something she could/should do, "I came home a bit earlier and made you some dinner."

"All by yourself?" Oliver asked skeptically even though he enjoyed the thought of her familiarizing herself with his home. Making him something because she felt it was right and wanted to be nice.

She snorted, hand hovering over the cover on his plate, "Yes. By myself. Made Nic leave and everything." She pulled off the plate and revealed the simple chicken, rice and vegetables platter underneath.

He pressed his shoulder against hers as the smell hit him, "It smells delicious."

"Thanks," Felicity grinned, her mind going back to a time when this wasn't normal or as comfortable. She loved that things had changed, "See, no crumbs on the bed this way."

"And you're sure you made this all by yourself?" he teased gently.

"Yup," Felicity said proudly, "Sara helped me bring this up like 15 minutes ago but everything else was me. Even the sour Skittles, crispy M&amp;M's, and Oreos on your side. Poured those myself."

He peered into the bowls next to him and true as her word, there were Skittles and M&amp;M's, "I've never had the sour ones before."

"Oh well you'll have them tonight after you eat," Felicity chimed in as she removed her cover and handed him a fork.

Oliver took it and tapped the laptop, "And what about this? What have you got for me now?"

She popped the laptop open, some rice and chicken in her mouth already. She'd been very hungry and had waited for a while for Oliver to come home. Even reheated the platter Oliver had began to eat.

"Well I was thinking we could watch something new. I was thinking of something else but…it was a little too depressing so I chose this," Felicity explained as she opened the media player.

"iZombie?" Oliver read out as he speared some vegetables and ate them, "These are good. All of this is good."

"Thank you," Felicity said, following his lead and not watching how his mouth wrapped around the chunk of carrot he had on his fork, "It's a new show. Two episodes in, about a girl who ends up turning into a half zombie or so and ends up solving crimes by eating peoples brains."

"Well that's different," Oliver said as he grabbed his plate, leaning back onto the couch for support, "I'm ready."

She hit play and settled back as well, comforted by the line of heat he provided, "Ready."

* * *

The next two hours passed by with an ease neither thought possible. They ate the delicious meal that Felicity made while watching the first episode and moved over to ice-cream with the second episode.

Conversation was easy and mainly consisted of things such as:

"She's not a zombie."

"Yes she is Oliver."

"But she's not eating brains or going 'grrrr.'"

"Going 'grrrr'?"

"Yes. 'Grrrr'."

And things like…

"So…you've never had Sour Skittles."

"No I haven't."

"Try one."

"No."

"Why not?"

"They're sour."

"Well of course they are. Please try one?"

"Fine. Give me one."

"Oh my god. Your face. It's not that sour."

Now they were sitting next to each other, loose limbed and full, sides flush together as Felicity licked some mint chocolate chip ice-cream off her fingers. The second episode had just ended and she had decided that this was the best mode of action. It was utterly distracting, made him forget entirely about his sour day, and he was pretty sure she knew it.

She side eyed him as, thumb in mouth, "Cat got your tongue?"

Oliver scooped up some vanilla ice-cream into his mouth while watching those plush lips suck on her thumb. The action was simple but effective in making him forget absolutely everything, "Yup."

Popping her thumb out of her mouth she stared at where his tongue was now lapping at his spoon. She was pretty sure he was doing it on purpose too.

He grinned when he caught her looking, "Cat got your tongue?"

"Yeah…you know, everyday I learn something new about you," Felicity observed as he dropped some crispy M&amp;M's into his ice-cream. In the back of her mind sometimes couldn't believe that this man, right here, loved her and wanted to stick by her side. The Crow had chosen her as she had chosen him.

"Do you now?" Oliver purred, placing a hand that should have been warm on her knee. It was cold from the bowl and made goosebumps erupt all over skin. Her eyes became heavy and dark but she continued pressing forward.

"I do. I love you. And while that's good…" she said as she placed her bowl on table. Oliver raised an eyebrow in question and Felicity waved him off, "And while that's good…I'm glad that it's not the end of our 'love story' if you want to call it that."

"Felicity, I don't understand," Oliver admitted, not connecting where she was taking this all when just seconds ago they were teasing each other with their mouths.

She slipped her hand on top of the one on her knee, fingers interlocking with his.

"You know how when you watch a romantic comedy the two leads get together at the end and that's it. They say their 'I love you's', have sex and its over. You don't get to see how they change, how they grow after they say their 'I love you's'," she paused, big blue eyes seemingly looking right into him, "So I'm happy that even though things have changed with us and our partnership, that I still get to learn new things about you and love you even more."

Oliver was silent after she said her piece. His eyes were searching all over face as if he'd find the answer to reply to such an honest sentiment.

Felicity spoke for him, ducking her head, "I'm not looking for you to say it back. I just wanted you to know. That you're fascinating and beautiful. And…there is more to you than you think there is."

This snapped him out of it and he placed his bowl on the table, turning to her, "I want to say it."

Her eyes caught his and didn't look away as he raised his hand to cup the sides of her face, "You are beautiful and honest and I am grateful to have you here where I can learn every bit of you. Even the dark bits that you don't think I see. I want it all."

They didn't even realize they were leaning into each other. When they kissed this time it was different.

It's tentative, the kiss. Testing the waters to see where this is going. They've made out before, plenty of times in fact. But there was something different about this. The sentiment behind it and the act that lead up to it….it was like they were getting to know each other all over again with their mouths; getting to know a gentler more free and intimate side.

Before they knew it, hot pressing hands were pulling at each other. Felicity tugging Oliver's shirt up so she could run her fingers over his skin and Oliver tearing off her dress, desperate to feel her curves against him, chest to chest, mouth to mouth. Throwing a leg over his torso she straddled him, before taking his mouth once more in a bruising kiss.

"Shall we move this to somewhere more comfortable?" he whispered into her mouth, using his hands on her hips to press her down on his growing erection. Felicity hissed. Their wasn't much separating them and she could feel him. All of him.

She nodded, tugging his shirt up and off before wrapping her arms around his neck. Cupping her ass he held her close and stood. There were too many steps until he deposited her on the bed. He stood at the edge. She was beautiful like this, soft pale skin flushed pink as her breasts moved up and down with every panting breath.

He felt something different waver inside of him as he chucked his pants and before he could stop himself he blurted out, "I've never done this before."

Felicity pressed her lips together, choosing her words carefully as she caught her breath. Oliver had felt amazing pressed up against her, hands promising and coaxing her to give into him, "Have sex? I'm pretty sure you've had sex."

Oliver shook his head. This wasn't coming out right, "I mean here. In my room…for fucks sake, I don't even have condoms in here." He didn't know what he expected from her but the slight watering of her eyes wasn't it.

"You've never brought anyone in here? Ever ever?" Felicity asked. She was seeing something different right now. A sort of vulnerability that she wasn't expected. And it made her feel proud. Like she was being given something special. Something of her own.

He licked his lips as he rested his hands on her bent knees, "Nope."

His touch was electrifying against her skin, fingers digging in. It look her a couple seconds to respond but when she did her voice was sure, "Go and get the condoms."

Oliver's eyes blazed over her skin before settling on her face again. She understood. Leaning slowly down between her parted legs he placed a kiss on the inside of her thigh that made her groan, "You better be naked when I get back."

Felicity's eyes became wild as she scooted back on the bed, already shimmying her panties down her legs, "Hurry."

Not wanting to go all the way down to the other wing, Oliver left their room in his black boxer briefs and knocked on Roy's door, quick and sharply. When he opened the door to his boss standing there practically naked, Roy was more than surprised.

"Ummmm…" came out of Roy's mouth as he kept his eyes on Oliver's face. They both knew the erection that he had wasn't for him.

There was a naked Felicity waiting for him. Better to get this over with quickly, Oliver thought before he blurted out, "Condoms. Need them. Now."

Roy blinked at Oliver in confusion before stepping back and leaving the bedroom door open. He came back a minute later with an unopened box and tossed it to Oliver, who inspected it quickly.

"I don't need the whole box," Oliver said.

Roy smirked, grasping the door, "Let's not lie to each other Oliver." Then he closed the door on Oliver.

Pushing his comment to the side, Oliver made his way back to their room. Once inside he locked the door for good measure. "Don't want any interruptions because…" his voice trailed off when he caught sight of Felicity.

She was laying on her stomach, legs swinging back and forth lazily with her head propped up in her hands. Her hair was lose; a halo forming there, "Hi."

He felt himself harden even more and his mouth go dry when his eyes skimmed over her full breasts and the curve of her pert ass. "Hi," he replied, voice breathless already. He wanted to touch everything.

There was a touch of amusement and lust in her eyes that beckoned him forward. He would touch everything. She wanted him too.

She'd thought about this long and hard. Well as long and hard as you could in the span of a minute that Oliver was gone, "So how do you feel about skipping the foreplay and going for the main act?"

His response was to pounce on her. She erupted into peels of laughter as he peppered her face with kisses. They weren't sure whose hands tore open the box, tearing a foil package of the strip.

"Are you sure?" Oliver panted against her neck, grinding himself down, hands skirting down to her waist.

She nodded and turned her face into his neck, giving him a bite that went straight down to his groin, "I'm sure."

Pulling back, he didn't take his eyes off her milky white skin, her rosy nipples or the her smooth mound. She was perfect. She was his.

Felicity parted her legs a little more and wrapped them around his waist, heels digging into his ass a little. She watched as he slid the condom on his impressive length. She'd felt, she'd felt his entire body, but not like this. Not where she could see every grove and line of his body. He was perfect. He was hers.

Taking himself into hand he guided himself into her. The slide was easy, sinking into her without a problem. Both groaned loudly as he settled inside of her tight heat, pelvis against hers.

Grounding himself with his arms he didn't waste time in pulling out of her and giving a shallow thrust that made Felicity gasp and dig her heels harder into his ass. He thrust into her again. This time she closed her eyes and threw her head back as he set a steady pace.

Oliver's eyes moved over her smooth neck. The flush from her cheeks had spread down to her collarbone. She keened in pleasure when he experimented with a thrust at a different angle. He'd never seen anything so beautiful.

Her hands scrambled off the bed and her eyes flew open to look at him above her when he pulled back, mouth hovering over a nipple, watching the bounce of her breasts.

"Is this ok?" he asked, panting as he gripped her shaking legs.

She bit her lip and keened as her hands came up to grip his waist. It was more than ok. It was fantastic. She felt like her skin was sparking and her legs were shaking with every jarring thrust into her, "It's good. Can you…"

"Can I what?" he asked, leaning down to hear her whimpering words. Her hands slid around to cling at his back, the pain of her nails clawing at him making his hips snap up into her. He'd done this with other women; there was no denying that. But it'd never felt this freeing. It'd never felt so good to have someone wrapped around him like this. He'd never felt connected to every touch of someone's fingers, every moan that left their throat. Every little moan. And it was because of her, "What can I do for you? Tell me."

"Can you…can you go harder?" she asked, feeling somehow embarrassed at requesting something like this. She'd never experienced something like this; had a man make her feel like she was coming apart at the seams from his touch, his voice. But this wasn't a passing fancy and she was sure that the man she loved wouldn't tease her when she made the request, "Make me feel it."

It was like she flipped a switch in his brain.

He stopped, still buried inside of her, face frozen in a wicked grin as he loomed above her, "I'll do anything you want baby. I'll make you feel it, promise."

He kept his promise.

Holding her close he set a punishing pace. His cock ramming into her and jolting the bed with every thrust. She didn't even have time to recognize that her orgasm was washing over her. One second she was licking into Oliver's mouth, keening at the most delicious turn of his hips against hers. And in the next her legs were locking into place around him and her mind was thrown into overdrive as she came around him.

Closing her eyes she continued chasing after the pleasure that had taken over, meeting his thrusts halfway. She wanted Oliver to join her in what she was feeling.

He wasn't far behind. When he felt her tightening around his length he'd hitched her legs up higher around his waist and pressed into her until she was a whimpering mess and he was coming inside. The orgasm shook through his body and his hot and sweaty body molded itself against hers.

He kept thrusting into her slowly until they felt like they could breath, until they felt like their hearts had settled. They felt sated. Happy in this place that was all theirs.

The happy feeling didn't dissipate as he pulled out of her and got rid of the condom in the bathroom. It didn't dissipate even when he came back and cleaned her up with a wet and warm cloth.

Oliver slipped into bed next to her, missing her warmth. Spreading out an arm she rolled over into his side, head on his chest as if she belonged there. She did.

She felt warm and tingly all over from her head down to her toes. "We should have done this sooner," she mumbled happily.

He froze when she turned her head and without thinking, pressed a kiss to the crow on his chest. She didn't look at him as she then rested her head there, mouth opening in a contagious yawn.

"I'm sleepy," she mumbled, ignorant of the fact that Oliver was mesmerized by her. Possessiveness swooped over him and his sure and strong hands brought her impossibly close.

Oliver settled his hand over her head, fingers tangling in her loose hair, "Go to sleep."

"But I don't want to leave you alone," she argued weakly. This was the most comfortable she'd felt in months, maybe years.

"Alone?"

"Yeah, after I fall asleep. You'll be up alone," she reasoned, eyes already starting to slip closed. She was content, floating in a haze of satisfaction and love for him.

Oliver shook his head, smiling into her hair fondly. "I'm never alone when I'm with you," he confessed lowly, as if telling her a secret, "Even when you're asleep or in another room…you're with me."

Felicity grinned lazily, his words warming her heart, and leaned up to press a tender kiss to his jaw. "You're a romantic," she teased, voice slipping away as she grew more sleepy and settled against him.

Holding her in place he drew the sheets over them and tucked the comforter around them. In her warm embrace he relaxed back into the pillow. He was safe…content. With her here.

Closing his eyes he paid attention to the thrumming of her heart against him and her slow puffs of air on his chest.

"Only for you."

He'd thought she'd fallen asleep but she quietly whispered, "Why?"

Oliver's hand ran over her head again and ended up on her shoulder as sleep tugged at him, "Because you're my home."

Felicity blew out a breath against his chest. Oliver was sure it was a small laugh. "Sap," she teased and he joined in her gentle laughter.

Oliver started feeling his grip on her loosen so his arm was just resting around her. Sleep was not far off for either of them. For her he'd be a possessive, stupidly in love, sap. "I love you," he muttered, other hand coming up to slowly run his fingers down her arm.

Nuzzling him she replied in a soft voice that somehow conveyed how right this was and how much she agreed with him. This was her home.

"And I love you."

* * *

She trudged down the hallway, the heels of her boots echoing of the walls. Everything was quiet here, just like she liked it. This was a place where she kept her little worker bees locked away for their safety. A place they could work for her without any disturbances.

That's what she was here for tonight. A disturbance.

Someone had managed to do something that she thought was over with, something she thought was done. Something that she had taken care of personally because she didn't trust anyone else with it. And here it was again, biting her in the ass. Somehow someone got their little fingers inside of what was hers again. They had swept through her system, scooped out whatever the fuck they'd come for, and left a trail of destruction behind them that had taken them days to fix.

So she'd come here. To the one place, the one worker bee, that should have guaranteed that this wouldn't happen again.

When she reached the end the guard there opened the door for her. It was a small apartment inside. A studio really, with the basics; a couch, a bed, and a small bathroom with no door.

Along the far wall was the real reason for this special room. It was a computer station with multiple monitors set up with every amenity that her little worker bee needed.

He turned to face her, eyes wide and face bruised from the last time that she'd been here. He sat still as she stalked towards him, eyes blazing.

"It happened again," she ground out.

The man leaned back into his chair as if to get away from her. But he couldn't. Like all her little worker bees he wasn't here by choice, "They shouldn't have been able to."

"Shouldn't?!" she yelled, stopping a couple feet from him, "Yes they shouldn't have. I thought you had a handle on this."

"I did…" he tried to argue but she cut him off.

"I thought you could do this without any help!"

"I can…I will…"

"Then why the fuck did someone get in again?! The only reason you are here is because I desire it so. If you're not doing your job then I don't desire you being here anymore!" she raged in his face, voice cutting through him as he tried to put a brave face.

The man clamped his mouth shut, at a loss of words. He was breathing a bit faster, panic settling in as she looked at him in disgust.

Taking a deep breath in, the woman settled herself. Anger only went so far. She had to put the fear into him. Placing her hands on the armrests she leaned close into his space. He said nothing, eyes on her.

"Now this is what we're going to do," she instructed, "You're going to take those beautiful fingers that I haven't smashed yet, because they're useful, and type away on the things behind you. You're going to find who did this, who broke through our system when you said that it wouldn't happen."

The man went to open his mouth and explain but snapped it shut when she glared at him, the warning clear. Pulling a slip of paper out of her pocket she handed it to him. He unfolded it quickly and looked down at a list of names.

The woman didn't move away as he read through the names, "These people are the only ones that could have known about the shipment that I lost. They were the ones who could have given me up. Key word: could." She poked at his chest and he felt himself bristle a little. He always got like that when she touched him; the fear bleeding away into arrogance and courage. She tried to stomp it out by digging her finger into his chest even further, "I want you to follow these people. Watch their every move electronically and sift through all the things they think others can't get into. You, my pretty little worker bee, will get into them and find me who's been messing around in my backyard."

Her shoulders rose as her head craned down towards him menacingly, "Understand?"

He visibly swallowed and she felt elated at stomping down the glimmer of fight in him.

"I understand Ms. White," he muttered, wanting her to leave the room as soon as possible. He would do anything as long as she left.

Gripping his chin, she dug in her fingers and growled, "It's China White to you boy. You fix this. You figure out what is going on. Or the next time I come back, you'll be leaving this room in a barrel like the last people that tried to fuck with me."

She shoved him away roughly and he covered his face with his hand for a second, hiding the small spark of anger.

When he looked back at her expectant face he nodded quickly, "Yes, China White. I'll watch the people listed here. I'll figure out what's going on. I'll find out who did this. I promise."

Snorting in anger she straightened. China White gave him another scathing look before turning on her heel to leave the room, "Good."

* * *

**A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter! I wonder who that mysterious woman at the end was? Hmmm. Until next week! 3**

**Love,**

**PoisonAngelMuse &amp; TheAlternativeSource**


	14. All I Need Is You

**The Crow Chapter 14 – All I Need Is You**

**Disclaimer: We own nothing but our plot and our own characters. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to DC Comics and CW Television. All rights over this idea and its concepts belong to us. This work is intended for the private enjoyment of the reader and is not to be shared on any other sites (besides AO3 and FF) or events without our express permission.**

* * *

**A/N: Hi everyone! So…we've got some yummy things for you in this chapter. Going to be hit with lots of yummy things! Enjoy dears! 333**

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**Music - All I Need Is You by John Newman**

* * *

_Fire_

_Time to burn the flame all through the night_

_Time to bring my dark chain into light_

_Oh yea I'm fighting, fighting, fighting to be free_

_Stronger_

_Stronger than the man I used to be_

_Time to reign the golden age for me_

_Oh yea I'm fighting, fighting, fighting to be free_

_And all the chances I take_

_All the changes I make_

_Yea, they're only nothing_

_'Cause all I need is you_

_(All I need is you, all I need is you)_

_All I need is you_

_(All I need is you, all I need)_

_I go to war with these troubles_

_And really all I need is you_

_(All I need is you, all I need)_

_I'm_

_The rising force that you will never tame_

_The glowing cause that you will not contain_

_Oh yea I'm fighting, fighting, fighting to be free_

"Are you sure we have time for this?" Felicity said as Oliver kissed the curve of her shoulder, hands on her hips as he backed her towards the bathroom.

He gave her neck a bite and she dropped her head to the side. He knew exactly where to bite to not illicit a laugh out of her but a deep moan.

After last night something had changed. Like turning a page in a new book. What'd they done...that wasn't having sex. It wasn't fucking or just getting lost in each other. They'd made love.

Not once. But multiple times.

They'd barely slept last night. After their first tumble in the sheets they'd made good use of the rooms various surfaces around the room. When they'd eventually tired themselves out Felicity had fallen asleep on her stomach with Oliver draped across her back like a warm blanket made out of muscles. It was fantastic.

Both woke up sated and deliciously warm. Neither wanted to get up or move from where they'd turned in the night, spooning and almost falling off the bed. After a bit of necking Felicity had boldly smacked Oliver's ass, on the premise that it was just so tempting, and said that she was going to take a shower.

Oliver didn't let her go far, following after her, both naked as the day they'd been born.

"We've got plenty of time," Oliver murmured, mouth still pressed against her warm skin as they entered the bathroom. She could feel his cock filling against her thigh. Mouth still on her he lifted her up to deposit her on the bathroom counter.

"Oh wait!" Felicity said. Clinging to his naked back, "Put me down."

Oliver gave her a weird look but let her down. Hiding the amount of amusement and arousal he felt at the moment.

"What is it?"

Felicity walked over to the closet and began rummaging around.

"Aha!" Felicity shouted as she turned with a white fluffy towel in her clutches. "Grab everything off the counter abs put it below."

Oliver followed her instructions, "And why are we doing this?"

"Because the counters cold and I don't want to knock things over like we did...last night," she finished as a flush spread from her cheeks down her collar and to her breast.

After all the things they'd done last night he was surprised she was still acting shy.

When the counter was clear Felicity came over and placed the folded towel down on the counter. Turning to him she reached out to him with grin, "Ok, let's do this."

With a laugh he approached her once more. Bending down a little he gripped her thighs and deposited her on the now soft counter. He settled between her parted legs and cupped the back of her neck, bringing her mouth close, lips grazing hers, "Better, dear?"

Felicity smiled, eyes crinkling at the corner at the use of the word 'dear'. She surged forward in answer, soundly kissing him as he stroked himself. Mouth still on her he scrambled for a condom, slipping it on before dragging the heat of his cock over her slit. He pulled away from her and parted her legs even more.

"Oliver," Felicity breathed, rocking forward.

Oliver's eyes are locked onto where he'd slid down to breach her. Her hand clamped down on his shoulder as she moaned. She lifted a leg to the counter; opening herself even more to him.

Her body shuddered as he drew himself out of her slowly until the head was only in her. She yelped as he snapped his hips forward; plunging inside her to the base.

Placing a hand on her thigh he panted, "Hard or slow. Tell me how you want it baby."

With one hand grasping the counter and the other holding onto him she kissed him and spoke into his mouth, "Hard."

Oliver greedily took her mouth as he wasted no time and began to thrust into her. He barely pulled out before he was fucking back inside of her.

He began to speak to her; not stopping his movements, fingers gripping her tight.

"Next time..." he panted, "Next time I want it to be different."

"Different?"

He bit her lip and pulled back to look into her lust filled eyes. Her mouth was open, small panting breath leaving her and her face flushed.

"I want to come inside," he confessed. He'd always been safe. Always taken care of any measures to make sure he didn't leave a trace himself out there. But he wanted to feel her, bare across him.

Oliver keened as her walls tightened around him, fluttering for a beat. She liked the thought as much as he did.

Letting go of the counter she gripped his chin, keeping her eyes locked with his as he thrust into her at a punishing pace, "You want to come inside?"

He punctuated his response by moving the grounding hand on her waist, to lightly stroke over her clit, "Yes. Fill you up."

Felicity dug her nails into his shoulders and brought her other leg to dig into his ass, "Ok. Next time. Next time you can fill me up Oliver. You can fuck me without anything in the way."

Oliver nipped her fingers in acceptance and pulled his head away. "I want you to come Felicity," he commanded as he circled her clit, fingers running over where he was parting.

She wanted to move and meet him half way. She wanted to press herself closer to him. Make him feel the pain and pleasure he was making her feel. But she couldn't. All she could do was nod and edge herself closer to the edge of the counter at his words.

Felicity whimpered as he pressed a finger right alongside where his cock was thrusting into her. He began thrusting in tandem with his cock and it was her undoing.

Her thigh locked him into place and he gathered her in close as her tightening walls set off a chain reaction in him. He felt himself spill inside the condom, her walls milking him.

Oliver leaned down and kissed her, consuming every moan and whimper. They road out their orgasm there on the bathroom counter. Both fucked out and not willing to move away from each other.

Felicity's hands loosened their hold and ran down his back, "I will never look at a bathroom the same."

He chuckled, slowly lowering her leg and pulling out of her. She felt empty at the lose of him. He quickly tied off the condom and threw it away before plastering himself to her front.

A goofy grin spread his face, "A lot of important things have happened with us when it comes to bathrooms."

Felicity cupped his face and returned the grin, "They have." She ran her thumbs over the skin under his eyes. Her Oliver was downright beautiful at this moment, "I love you."

Cupping her ass he scooped her up and off the counter. Her arms went around his shoulders as he kissed her, tongue peeking out to touch her bottom lip only briefly before saying, "I love you. Now let's get you in the shower. Wash you up."

"I can walk you know," she complained even though she knew this was best. He maneuvered them to the shower and pressed her close; her wet center covering his abs with her slick.

"Says you. You told me to make you feel it last night. If you weren't feeling it before, you are now," Oliver reasoned. He didn't want to let it slip that he felt insanely proud of how long they lasted and the things he made her feel. Apparently he didn't hide it well enough.

Felicity nipped at his jaw in warning, "Someone's smug."

He opened the shower and stepped inside. Oliver gripped her ass tightly as he turned on the warm water. He let it hit him until he was certain it was at the right temperature, "Not smug."

Felicity raised an eyebrow as the warmth of the water ran over her.

"Well a little smug," Oliver corrected, hands still cupping her ass he stepped fully into the water. He wanted to take care of her, "Let me do this for you. I got you baby. Don't worry."

She finally relented with a fake put out sigh, "Fine. Nurse me back to health."

Without thinking Felicity rested her head on his shoulder, her hand scratching absentmindedly at the nape of his neck as his sure and strong hands held her up.

"I'll make you feel better. Promise."

* * *

Oliver glanced at Felicity from across the room and caught her eyes as she righted the bed. After their shower they had traded lazy kisses as they dressed. He'd been right at Felicity needing the warm shower. Her muscles were sore, hell his were too, but it was better now. Like a warm and comforting hum underneath their skin.

She smiled, eyes warm and at home. He felt young at heart last night with her. Full of love and free. He still felt that this morning in their bed. In their bathroom. In their shower.

Fifteen minutes after dressing and moving at a snails pace, they started righting the room. That's why she was across the room fixing the bed while he created a huge pillow pile next to the couch. They really had made a mess last night.

When relatively done, Felicity and Oliver converged in the middle of the room. Their body's always managed to find their way back to each other nowadays.

Felicity spoke first. Breaking the silence.

"Were you serious about what you said earlier?"

He nosed at her temple, mind still in a warm and comfortable lull, "About what?"

She pressed her temple against his, mouth grazing his cheek, "About wanting to come inside of me."

Even after the session they'd just had in the bathroom, he felt himself all riled up again at the thought of what he'd confessed to her in the middle of making love, "I was deadly serious. You know I'm no saint. I've had my share of women. But I've never done that."

"Come inside someone bare?" Felicity whispered. Oliver nodded his head and Felicity bit her lip before answering, "Me neither."

Oliver's hands came around her, settling dangerously low on her back. He liked having this different conversation with her, "So how are we going to do this?"

Felicity parted his suit jacket and locked her arms around him, hands gripping the back of his shirt, "Well, we'd both have to get tested. I'm already on the pill for my cycle so that's no problem. Do you have anybody that can do this without it becoming big news or something?"

"Diggle," Oliver thought of first, "Despite being their boss, Roy and Sara would have to much fun taking samples to get tested. I'll ask Diggle to come around later and do it."

Felicity kissed his cheek, "They would."

Everything turned quiet for a moment. Both enjoying each others presence, warmth and comfort.

"You ready?"

"For what?"

"A day out there," Oliver answered. Both knew what he meant. A day where they couldn't really act like they were acting. A day where they couldn't be free to act the way they wanted or be free together. Out there was not the real world. It was were they held themselves back. This was the real world. And they wanted to stay.

She answered honestly, "Nope." She popped the 'p' at the end and he snorted in laughter, hands playfully tapping her bottom with the tips of his fingers.

He tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her temple, not moving from the spot, "Let's go. I'll have breakfast with you."

She pressed her head against his as he held her close, "Really?"

"Yes really. Maybe," he hesitated here for a second, "Maybe make it another tradition?"

Felicity pulled back to look at Oliver. He would attend breakfast with her occasionally but making it a tradition was something different. Good different where they just kept on finding new ways to fall into each other. Pulling away from him she reached for this hand. Locking their fingers together she pulled him along, opening the door she said, "Ok, but I want waffles."

"Bacon waffles," Oliver suggested, fingers barely able to catch he handle of the door to close it, his eyes doing a cursory check of the hall. Mind conditioning itself to the change in whom he was out here. When Felicity turned to look at him he knew.

He wasn't vulnerable with Felicity. He was strong. He was comforted and determined. He was safe. This is what he wanted.

Her.

* * *

Oliver continued to press the idea that Felicity needed to protect herself. And now that they had planned to go to this gala and get more information on China White's activities, he had been more adamant with the idea. That had led to a session with Roy and Sara almost daily. And a session with Oliver every other day.

"Ok, now make sure that you keep your left side covered. You tend to leave it open when coming forward for an attack."

Felicity didn't turn towards Sara, eyes intent on Roy who stood across from her on the training mat. Roy faked a jump forward and Felicity jumped back. She glared at the proud look on his face. It wasn't a glare full of anger. It was a glare shared between family full of teasing jabs and poking words.

She'd felt good the past couple of days. No...not good. Great. And Roy and Sara knew it. They had spent the entire session today trying to distract her and throw her off her game. They were testing her and winning.

"Come on Felicity. Relax," Sara instructed from where she sat, feet up on a work table as she watched, "You were relaxed when you got here today. What can we do to get you back to that?"

Felicity countered her teasing by coming at Roy, even though he managed to avoid her quite easily, "Nothing you can do to make me that relaxed Sara. Don't swing that way. Not Nyssa."

Not expecting that answer Sara choked on her breath and dropped her legs to the ground, "I don't know what you're..."

Roy came for an attack and Felicity managed to twist his arm and push him away just like Oliver had taught her, "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

Getting his bearings again Roy grinned at Sara while circling Felicity, "Ohhhh do tell Sara?"

"It's nothing. She's just someone I met," Sara pointedly ignored Roy, getting her bearings and sending Felicity a look with absolutely no heat behind it, "Now back to work."

"All work that one," Roy joked, narrowly missing a water bottle Sara threw at him.

Felicity's mind ran over what she could do to throw Roy off balance. Something to give her the advantage. She zeroed in on the idea and grinned widely.

"What's got you grinning?" Roy questioned as they circled each other. He still thought he had the upper hand. That he was going to take her down. He came at her again and she barely managed to block his slow but strong moves. She ended up on the floor.

Roy stood by her feet, cocky grin on his face, "Not grinning anymore are you?"

She wanted to wipe it off his face, "That's for the condoms last night. Pretty sure there's only a couple left."

Roy sputtered and Felicity used the distraction to her advantage. Kicking her foot out, like Oliver had taught her, she sent him flying. He landed with a grunt on the training mat and Sara whooped.

"That's why she was grinning," Sara said. She wasn't even to hide her amusement.

Felicity held her fist up in the air as her grin turned into a smile. She knew that would throw Roy off his game. No matter how tough or cocky he acted he had begun to treat her like family. Like a sister. And like any sister they didn't like to hear talk about their sex life, "I'm smiling now."

Sara came over and met her fist with her own, "Good job."

Taking Sara's offered hand she came to her feet. Walking over to Roy she look down at his pouting face. "Great job," she teased.

Roy frowned even more but took Felicity's offered hand. When he right on his feet he said, "Yeah, yeah. You did a great job. Where'd you learn that?"

"Oliver," Sara supplied, "Apparently he's been teaching Felicity on their off time."

Roy pursed his lips, "Soon you'll be knocking me down all over the place won't you blondie?"

Felicity smacked Roy's arm with the towel Sara had handed her, "I will if you keep calling me 'blondie'."

"So how you feeling about this?" Sara asked.

Felicity used the towel to delay her reply as she wiped the sweat off her face. It was a complicated question. Yes, she was elated to finally get the ball rolling and be out there to do what they had set out to accomplish. But she was nervous, on edge because things like this could spiral out of control if she didn't tread carefully, "Honestly, I'm nervous but ready."

"That's a combination," Roy said sarcastically as he stepped over to the staff case, looking for the next thing to train her on. Or really kick her butt on.

Sara rolled her eyes and exchanged Felicity's towel for a water bottle. She waited for Felicity to continue.

"This is what I've been working towards. It's just...I want to make sure this goes off without a hitch," Felicity confessed, looking at both of them. They were both watching her intently, "I don't want you to get hurt."

If this were a movie or a book, this would be the point where the audience went 'awww', hearts going out to the confession. But this wasn't a story. This was real life.

Felicity was surprised that Roy was the one who broke the silence, approaching her and throwing a staff at her, which she caught easily.

"And we won't. You won't get hurt. Neither will we. We'll train together and make sure that nothing happens. Got it?"

Felicity's lips tugged up at the corners. It was by far the shortest and worst motivational speech she'd ever heard, but somehow it managed to settle the onslaught of nerves that had come upon her. Setting the tail end of the staff on the training mat she nodded, "Got it."

* * *

Oliver sat down at his glass desk, looking through the large windows of his office at Queen Consolidated, lost in his own thoughts. Things had changed once more when Felicity and he had made love. Shifted in a good way. And ever since then he couldn't stop thinking about what Diggle had told him a few days ago; about finding a life outside Bratva. About daring to hope and to dream to have a normal life. A life outside the horrors of the brotherhood, a life his parents would be proud of. A life where Felicity would be safe.

He closed his eyes and for a second he could picture it perfectly.

He would spend mornings at QC, working at his family's company. When it came time for him to go home it would be to a woman he loved. Maybe Felicity would have her own company. Maybe she would join him at QC. They would have a family of their own in a few years – maybe a little boy and a girl – Raisa would live with them too. Sara and Roy would still be with them, but this time their lives wouldn't be tainted by the violence and despair of the Bratva. Diggle would still be his best friend; maybe he and Lyla would have a kid or two of their own. Maybe Diggle would start his own security company. And most important of all… Anatoly would be as far away from him as possible. So far that he would never be able to touch the people he loved. So that Oliver would be sure they would be forever safe.

It was a nice dream. And not so long ago, it was all a fantasy he had pushed away; an illusion he could only dream of. Now, Oliver wasn't so sure about how far out of its reach it was. Maybe he could have it all.

Diggle was right; Anatoly wouldn't live forever, as everyone would die one day. Maybe Oliver could find a way, a way to expunge the Bratva from his life after he was gone. Maybe he would be able to protect himself and the ones he cared from the brotherhood and their stupid code _\- no one ever leaves the brotherhood_ – maybe Oliver would be strong enough to find a way to leave the brotherhood and survive.

A soft knock on the door interrupted his thoughts; Nina his Executive Assistant stepping inside his office, "Sorry I couldn't answer your call from earlier. Was taking down an appointment. What can I help you with, Mr. Queen?"

Oliver turned partially so he could see her, "Oh yes, Nina. I want you to confirm my presence at the Children's Hospital Benefit this weekend."

"The Charity Ball?" she asked, shocked. "Sir, you said you wouldn't be attending per usual. I was preparing the check," Nina said, scanning through Oliver's schedule on the tablet in her hands.

He said nothing at the surprised look on her face. If he were in her position he would be shocked as well, "I'm well aware, Nina. But I've changed my mind. So you can call and make sure they know I will be there this year."

"Yes, sir," Nina said, typing on her tablet quickly.

"And I will need two tickets," Oliver said shortly, not giving Nina a chance to voice her surprise, "Ms. Felicity Smoak will be my date for the evening. I want to make sure that the press can't get a hold of any information about her. I don't want my girlfriend being harassed on the streets. So contact the PR office and make sure they contact the event coordinator so that we can make a quick walk through the press with no questions asked."

"Yes sir, I will go contact the PR office immediately. Anything else?"

Oliver tapping his fingers across his desk in contemplation. This was the real reason why he had called Nina in, "Yes. Call the manager of Cartier. I want him to bring me some pieces."

Nina nodded in understanding before leaving to work on Oliver's requests.

When the door clicked shut Oliver was once more left to wonder about all his life's possibilities and all the dangers that he surrounded himself in. Turning fully to his desk he looked over the spread out files containing the transactions that Anatoly wanted him to run; the enormous amount of money that he expected Oliver to work on. With a frustrated sigh, Oliver pinched the bridge on top of his nose. Anatoly was becoming reckless.

The partnership that Anatoly and his father Robert had started twenty years before had grown much more than any of them expected. And while Oliver knew that Queen Consolidated could continue without the Bratva, he knew the other way around wasn't true. Anatoly needed Oliver's company and skills to launder all his dirty money in and out of the US. It was simple as that. And in the beginning it had worked smoothly. It had brought Queen Consolidated additional business and was something his father could overlook quite easily. But years later, now, the brotherhood was poisoning his family's company, and nothing would give him greater pleasure than making QC free of it festering touch.

Rolling his shoulders he tried to dispel the possible thought of pushing Anatoly out. He couldn't do this yet. Not while Anatoly was still around. For now Oliver would play by his uncle's rules. But he wouldn't let his greedy uncle jeopardize his family's hard work, especially not now that the Feds and other agencies were focusing in on Starling City because of the Triad. No, they would be careful.

Being careful meant smaller transactions through side projects and subsidiaries of QC. So he set off to work, using Felicity's program to hide the money inside QC's financial records. He could do this. It was workable. But he wouldn't accept larger transactions anymore. When Anatoly would ask why he would use the excuse that while the Feds were in town, the IRS and other agencies wouldn't be far behind. And it was true. Oliver didn't want them anywhere near him or his legacy, whatever it ended up being.

After implementing everything into her program, Oliver sat back proudly. Felicity as always had surpassed all his expectations. And even if she was against using her knowledge to help the Bratva, she had done the best she could so the company and its employees would be protected. Thinking about it, Oliver felt shame at pushing her to help him in the beginning. He could have honestly just asked. It also made him fear about Felicity's position if the Feds became aware of her involvement. She would be part of a conspiracy to launder millions of dollars from illicit activities. If they got caught, she could spend the rest of her life in jail because of him.

No, he wouldn't allow it.

Getting up on his feet, Oliver paced from one side of his office to the other, trying to shake off the despair that overcome him at the image of Felicity being arrested because of him. She had done her share of illegal things in her hacking days, but they were always to help people, innocent people that had suffered by the hands of criminal organizations. If someone found out she was part of the Raiders on top of her criminal activity for the Bratva, she would spend the rest of her life behind bars and Oliver would not allow that. He would protect her. He would find a way to hide her, to shelter her from both the Bratva and the Feds.

It no longer surprised him that it was easier when it came to her. There was no choice to make.

An idea came to him and he latched onto it, feeling confident of his choice. He walked out of his office, avoiding Nina's confused eyes and uncharacteristically took the stairs to Walter's floor and then to the long hall to his office. Oliver ignored Marie, Walter's EA, and knocked on the door per custom, before peeking inside the office.

"Walter, do you have a minute?" Oliver said in greeting.

Walter looked up from his computer screen, eyes worried, "Of course, Oliver. Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I just needed to talk to you before a meeting that I have scheduled in a couple minutes," Oliver lied, trying to justify his haste.

Walter swept his arm at the chairs in front of his desk, "Ok, what can I help you with?"

Unbuttoning his jacket, Oliver sat, "Do you remember Felicity Smoak? She was a technology consultant that did some updates to QC's systems a few weeks ago?"

"Of course. Ms. Smoak is not the kind of woman that is easily forgotten."

"That she ism" Oliver said trying not to smile. He was happy that Walter approved, "I've been thinking about all the work she did for us. She did some amazing work and I've heard nothing but good praise about the program that she designed for us. So I've been thinking about offering her a position here at QC."

"I think that's a marvelous idea, Oliver," Walter agreed, "I did try to offer her a position when she was fresh out of MIT, but as you know she refused it at the time."

"I am well aware. I was wondering if there are any positions available for her type of skill set."

Walter hummed in contemplation, "I think she would be an outstanding addition to our team in the Advanced Sciences Department. I don't think it'll be as exciting as being an independent consultant position but she'd fit in well."

"Excellent." Oliver said, pleased with Walter's approval, "I have a feeling that she will accept it this time. She's kind of grown tired of moving."

Walter grinned. He'd seen the spark between the two and he was sure Ms. Smoak wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, "Well that's settle then. I'll get HR to contact her. I think they have a couple products she can help with."

Oliver got up and shook Walter's hand. He knew he could depend on Walter to calm his fears; even if only momentarily, "Great. Thank you, Walter."

Walter's voice stopped him from leaving, "Oliver, why are you asking me? Why not speak to Ms. Smoak about this directly? Or better yet to speak to the department head?"

"Because of how close we have become. I don't want the board to think I'm hiring Felicity because she's my girlfriend. She is a brilliant woman; we both know that. She could take our projects to a whole other level and I want her to have her position here out of respect."

"I agree with you. She will bring a new light to our projects here at QC. I will discuss this matter with the board myself. Don't worry about it, Oliver. By the end of the week someone will be in contact with her."

Oliver tipped his head at Walter, "Thank you. I knew I could count on you."

"And you always will," Walter assured with a proud smile, that Oliver returned.

He would miss having Walter Steele around.

* * *

Before either of them knew it the time of the gala had come upon them.

Felicity had gone out with Sara and surprisingly enough Diggle, to get a dress while Oliver was off at work. Oliver's excuse was that things were about to heat up and he wanted her safe and taken care of. Felicity didn't argue and used Diggle's presence and advice to find something new. Something different that Oliver would like.

When she went to get ready she was surprised to find Oliver there waiting for her with a gift. He had cleared a space for her across the room and set a vanity there. It had three mirrors, drawers on both sides and a bench to complete the look. What surprised her even more was that everything that Sara had bought for her was neatly placed on top of the vanity and in its drawers.

"You did this?" she had asked him, eyes watering at the sight of it. She had only mentioned to him once, in the dead of night, how she had caught Ms. Watson a handful of times in front of a vanity that Mr. Watson had bought her their first year of marriage. Now she had one.

Oliver had shuffled in place, all of a sudden shy and had stood stock still as Felicity locked him in a bone-crushing hug that he couldn't move from.

Right after she had released him and began perusing through the drawers to see where everything was at. And now, two separate showers later, here they were half an hour later, getting ready for the gala.

Felicity was sitting at the vanity in a thin robe and her underwear. She had her towel dried hair over one shoulder and was getting ready with her radio playing light tunes as she sang.

Oliver was over by the closet picking out his clothes. He had tried to coax Felicity for some 'special' time before the gala. But with a swift kiss she had pushed him towards the closet to pick out his clothes. In retaliation Oliver had tucked his towel low on his hips and made sure to pass by behind her as he placed his things on the bed. He smirked at the hot trail her eyes left down his back every time he bent forward or when the towel slipped down a little lower on his hips.

When he finally had everything he needed he stood facing her, giving her a tantalizing trail of hair that disappeared underneath his towel. She stopped, eyeliner in hand, when he yawned. Arms stretching up, he scratched his belly lazily, corded muscles flexing and making her mouth drop open.

When he settled his eyes opened. He looked like the cat that caught the canary.

She caught his eyes and snapped her mouth closed. Using her eyeliner to point at him through the mirror she said, "No funny business mister."

Oliver held one hand to his chest and as playfully as he could manage said, "I would never."

Felicity felt her lips twitch and she couldn't hold back a burst of laughter. He made light jokes here and there. Most pertaining to Colin Firth, but she'd never seen this playful nature in him. And most certainly never outside these walls. Their sanctuary.

"Sure," she drawled as she continued putting on her makeup. She had gotten better at doing her makeup according to Sara. To the point where Sara would glance at her and give her a nod of approval. Today she would have to ask Sara for some help. Last night...Oliver had managed to give her a surprising amount of beard burn around her breasts. Flickering her eyes to Oliver she came up with an idea to get him back for all the stretching and bending he had done.

Turning on the bench she asked, "Do we have any lotion with aloe in it?"

Oliver nodded without turning around, holding up two ties and comparing them, "Yeah. I have some on my side of the sink."

She got up and went on the search, "Thanks." Finding it quickly she grabbed the bottle and sat at her vanity.

"Why do you need it anyway?" Oliver asked.

Felicity opened her robe and popped the cap open. She poured some into her hand before replying, "Someone gave me beard burn."

Oliver turned, voice filled with amusement, "Where did I..." His mouth dropped and words screeched to a halt at the sight of Felicity before him. She was looking at him through the mirror, one hand cupping her breast inside her bra, slowly rubbing the lotion in. He shifted uncomfortably and watched as she bit her lip. She knew what she was doing and he liked it.

"What you doing?" he asked with a swallow.

"I told you. Beard burn," Felicity answered as she switched to her other breast, eyes still locked on his. Now she could feel the smoldering heat of his stare upon her. If it wasn't that Sara was going to be here in about fifteen minutes to do Felicity's hair, she was pretty sure Oliver would march across the room and christen the new vanity he had gotten her.

"Do you need any help with it?" he asked, eyes still dark, falling right into what Felicity wanted. She was testing his patience. Getting him back for what he had done earlier. He was extremely tempted to giving in.

She smirked at him when she grasped her breast with her full hand, no longer rubbing the lotion in. Her eyes were glowing with mirth.

Blinking he shook the haze that she had pulled him into. That smirk. She was testing him.

Pointing at her he said, "Behave, dear."

She paused in her ministrations, preening at the use of another nickname, and pulled her hand out of her bra and was back to normal, eyeliner in hand, "That's what you get for prancing around in that towel, baby."

He chuckled but said nothing as Felicity changed the station and began humming. Recognizing the song he hummed lightly to the tune. Before they knew it Oliver was dressed for the night and Felicity's makeup was done. And as if she knew what they were up to and that they had just finished, Sara arrived, knocking on the door and entering when Oliver said it was ok.

Oliver had then kissed Felicity's head and told her that he would be back after Sara had finished her hair. He had a couple calls to make.

Sara, being the on point woman that she was, zeroed in on the light trail of beard burn by her collar and face. She dragged a chair up to Felicity and set to work. She said nothing for a couple minutes, concentrating on Felicity's skin.

"So it looks like you two had fun yesterday," Sara finally commented.

Felicity didn't move and bit her lip to stop from smiling. She liked this light teasing between them. It was familial. Sisterly.

She pictured the sweet and satisfied smile on Oliver's face after he had given her beard burn along her breast, "Yes, we did."

Sara guided her to look at the mirror, "Better?"

Sara really was a wonder at stuff like this. She could barely see the beard burn anymore, "Much better. Thank you."

Knowing where everything was, Sara began pulling open drawers to work on Felicity's hair. When everything was set she stood behind Felicity and began separating Felicity's hair.

Rubbing some leave in conditioner between her hands Sara said, "So let's see what we can do with your hair."

* * *

When they were finally done with Felicity's hair her hair was swept up in an elegant up do. Felicity was scared to touch it, lest she mess it up. She met Sara's eyes through the mirror, eyes sincere and grateful, "Thank you."

"No problem," Sara said as she placed her hands on Felicity's shoulders, "Now let's get you into your dress and knock Oliver right off his feet."

Felicity followed Sara and with her help began slipping on the green dress. It was another transformation and she couldn't deny that she liked it, that she thought she looked beautiful, "You really think Oliver will like it?"

"It was approved by Diggle," Sara said as she zipped up her dress and hooked the top, "It will knock him off his game for sure."

Sara smoothed over the back and made Felicity give her a twirl. She nodded in approval and pulled out a lipstick tube from her pocket.

"What's that?"

"This is for you," Sara stepped up to Felicity and popped off the top, "But don't be mistaken. It's not a shade you want to wear." She turned the base and revealed the blade inside.

"What kind of situation do you think I'm going to get in while at the gala?" Felicity asked in shock. She'd seen things like this in movies and whatnot, but never in real life. And as Oliver and Diggle as her companions she hadn't thought that she would need such protection.

Sara showed her how to hide the blade and make sure the cap didn't come off, "I know you'll have Oliver and Diggle by your side. But if anything should happen, Oliver agreed with me on this, you should be able to protect yourself."

Felicity took it, examining the lipstick tube, "And where do you think I should hide it?"

Sara pointedly looked between her breast and Felicity rolled her eyes with a laugh.

"Really?"

"Well what better place to hide it?" Sara said as she pulled down her shirt so Felicity could see the top of a blade hidden between her breasts, "It's where I hide mine."

Felicity certainly was living a completely different life. In this one, women hid weapons between their breasts. She followed Sara's instructions and tucked the tube in her dress. Wiggling a little she felt it not move an inch, "You're right. It's not moving at all."

Sara grinned, before retrieving Felicity's heels, "Told you. Now put on your heels and don't move an inch. I'm going to call Oliver in."

Sitting on her bench she slipped on the heels as Sara left. When they were on she stuck her feet out in front of her examining her heels, "Thank god that I'm getting pretty good at walking in these. If not Oliver's not going to be the one knocked off his feet. I will."

"I don't know," a voice interrupted. She looked up and caught sight of Oliver closing the door behind him. His eyes were wide and sweeping over her frame, "I'm pretty sure I've just been knocked off my feet."

She stood quickly, smoothing out her dress nervously as Oliver took in the beautiful picture that Felicity made. She looked like a Queen.

"You like it?" Felicity asked.

Oliver approached her; taking one of her hands since the other was holding a smooth black box. He gave her green dress another appraising view, eyes stopping for a second on the high slit that showed off her milky thigh, "You look beautiful. Sexy."

She ran her hands over his shoulders and ran it down his arms. He looked tall, handsome and they made quite a pair in her vanity mirror. "You look sexy as well," she complimented. When her hand knocked into the one holding the black box she asked, "What's this?"

Letting her hand go he brought the black box and opened in. Inside lay a pair of diamond and emerald earrings. She blinked at him in surprise.

"You got these for me? From the vault? You didn't have to."

Oliver shook his head, "Actually I bought these."

Her eyes widened, "Really?"

"Yeah. I wanted you to have something special. Something uniquely yours."

"And what's the occasion?"

"You," he answered simply. Her eyes snapped up to him, "I know you don't like these kinds of things. You're not that kind of girl. But I saw them and...I thought of you. I thought of your smile and your laugh and how beautiful they would look against your skin. Do you like them?"

He was close enough for her to stand on her tippy toes and kiss his nose. He made a noise of surprise at the sweet gesture. Oliver hadn't been expecting it.

"Of course I like them. I love them. Thank you," Felicity said as she took an earring out, gently handling them, "Can you help me put them on?"

He nodded quickly. Taking one earring in hand he helped her put it on. Neither commented on the way that Oliver's fingers fumbled on ear lobe. When they were set Felicity turned back to her vanity. They were simply stunning.

"Wow. They're beautiful," she said before turning to Oliver. She turned her head a couple times to give him optimum viewing of his gift.

"You look beautiful," Oliver said as he cupped her cheek, stopping her mid turn, "Nervous?"

"Kind of," Felicity answered, leaning into his hand, "Not as much I expected to be. I've got Sara's gift and you there so I'll be ok."

Oliver's chest puffed up with pride. She felt safe with him.

Felicity smiled fondly at him, adjusting her dress a little, "Ready to do this Mr. Queen?"

Tucking Felicity's arm into his he stood tall, "As I'll ever be Ms. Smoak."

* * *

Albert Henriksen's estate was situated on the outskirts of Starling City. It wasn't as big as the Queen Mansion but it had the same elegant style and overwhelming feeling of luxury to it; from the Italian marble floors to the crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling in main gala room where Oliver and Felicity now stood.

Felicity was still a bit shaken from her encounter with the photographers at the mansion's entry. Her mask of indifference had slipped for the briefest of moments when they stepped out of the car together. But Oliver held her close to him, his public mask on as they walked over the black carpet and posed for pictures. Only briefly of course. They ignored the pleading of the photographers for her name and moved off inside to the large ballroom, where they were handed champagne flutes.

They tried to blend in.

Oliver slipped easily into the role of charming playboy/CEO. He had his fake smile on and his hand curled around her hip, making sure that she stood next to him the entire time. He talked with different men and women, all part of the elite of the city, to keep their covers up. Felicity smiled and politely laughed when necessary. But she mostly kept to herself, not comfortable being among these kind of people. And most people accepted it as Felicity playing the submissive girlfriend not used to being in this position. They were half right.

Felicity took a small sip from her drink as Oliver spoke to another person of the top elite. She was trying to steady her nerves, but at the same time not wanting to get tipsy; after all, they were on an information-seeking mission. She looked around the large hall where the 1% of Starling City calmly chatted and drank; their wealth showing in their expensive couture clothes and jewelry. She had to suppress her desire to roll her eyes. These were the people she had despised her entire life – shallow and superficial. Some of them were the same kind of people she and the Raider's had worked so hard to bring down. But every once in a while she caught sight of people will full smiles and kind looking faces who looked like they were here because this was a good cause, because they cared for the Children's Hospital. So Felicity decided to try to focus on those people, otherwise, she would never be able to get through this night; despite Oliver's assuring touch.

Her eyes sought out Diggle. He, like many of the security teams in attendance, was near by and along the walls of the room. His eyes were diligently scanning the crowd and keeping an eye on Oliver and Felicity. He played the part of bodyguard, while at the same time here to help Oliver and Felicity in their task. When she caught his eyes he gave her a small smile that she returned. Oliver's grip tightened against her hip and her eyes flew up to his.

"Oliver! What a nice surprise to see you here tonight," a tall blond man, dressed in an extremely expensive tux, greeted as he approached them.

"Albert! Do you really think I would miss my chance to help this great cause?" Oliver said, his fake smile in place and his hold steady on Felicity. They both knew who this man was and what he was involved in. And it certainly wasn't anything as innocent as helping a Children's Hospital. She turned into him and gave the man a pleasant smile while Oliver kept his hold steady.

This is what they were here for.

"I must say that I was shocked to know that you would grace us with your presence," Albert said, his voice edged with curiosity.

"Well you know me, Albert. I do love good champagne and good company," Oliver replied, looking down at Felicity who smiled up at him, "Helping the Children's Hospital is a plus."

"Indeed, Oliver. And who is this lovely lady?" Albert asked, eyes finally locking on Felicity, who gritted her teeth at just being acknowledged. And even then it was through Oliver.

"This is my date, Felicity," Oliver said, not wanting to give too much to the scumbag when all he wanted to do was step forward and slug the man across the face.

"Enchanted, my darling," Henriksen said, his eyes running down Felicity's body in a leer and completely missing the sour look on Felicity's face and the angry glare on Oliver's.

"The pleasure is all mine," she replied sweetly, trying to keep playing her part even though all she could think about was stripping him of all his money and giving the Children's Hospital a real donation. With the way he was looking at her she had half a mind to do it after they got the intel they needed.

"I do hope that you both will enjoy your night. And I do expect you to save a dance for me, Felicity," Henriksen said in a suggestive tone as he caught sight of another group of people he wanted to speak too.

Felicity caught sight of Oliver's clenched jaw and ran a hand up his chest. "Will do," she said in a fake flirty tone as he left to chat with another couple.

"Let's dance," Oliver said tensely, gently tugging Felicity towards the dance floor, where many couples danced at the light and happy music of the band.

Taking her hand and waist, Oliver pulled her body close to his, and began to sway. They looked into each other eyes and finally shared a real smile. For a second both could forget why they were actually there tonight. There was no conspiracy, no China White, no pain or death. It was just the two of them, dancing together, and enjoying the feel of each other's warmth and security.

"So you can dance!" Felicity muttered with a large smile, as Oliver moved them with grace around the room, "I was starting to think that you had two left feet."

"And why is that?" he asked her with a small laugh; her matching laugh sounding like music to his ears.

"We've never danced before. Swayed yes. But never danced," she whispered, moving her hand from his tux clad shoulder to the curve of his neck, "I like it."

"That's probably because I knew if we danced together I wouldn't be able to control myself," Oliver whispered against her ear, his lips brushing her industrial piercing. Her eyes widened and she looked around to see how his lips tugged at it for a second, making her skin break out in goosebumps. He drove her insane.

"Are you telling me that you are controlling yourself right now, baby?" she whispered, pressing their bodies closer together and making Oliver gulp. He liked that name.

"Barely," he whispered, making her laugh. How could he be anything but tempted by her when she smiled at him like that in such a tempting dress?

"Good to know, Mr. Sexy Suspenders," she teased, as he spun her around in an elegant twist, before bringing her body closer to his again, "Show off."

"Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?" Oliver said with a large smile, his eyes reflecting how much he loved her, the same look she knew she had in her own blue eyes.

"A few times already," she said with a casual, yet playful shrug.

"You do. But that's no news, you always look beautiful to me," he said as he shifted his hold so she could rest her head against his shoulder and he could press his face against the crown of her hair; smelling the scent that was simply Felicity.

"You're saying that just because you love me," she teased him as the song slowed down in a gentle song.

"I do love you. But that doesn't change the fact that you've changed my world. Ever since I first laid my eyes on you."

"Oliver…" she whispered, trying to find the right words to say to him. Her eyes caught the smiling face of Tommy Merlyn and Laurel Lance as they approached her.

Felicity pulled away as they stepped up to them.

"Oliver! My man" Tommy greeted with a cheerful grin when Oliver caught sight of them. He slowed their dancing by the dance floors edge and Tommy and Laurel followed, "Fancy seeing you here."

"Tommy, Laurel," Oliver nodded, as he and Felicity matched their pace.

"It's great to see you again, Felicity," Tommy said as he and Laurel softly danced.

"Felicity, hi," Laurel added with a smile.

"It's great to see you two," Felicity said with a smile that reached her eyes despite the amount of tension in the air. She knew what the presence of Tommy Merlyn did to Oliver, and she knew that her boyfriend needed some time. After all, to Oliver, Tommy represented everything that Oliver thought he could never have. And Felicity desperately wanted to change that. She wanted Oliver to see that he could have it all. Maybe they just needed some time. "I think I need a drink," she suggested when the song ended and they stopped.

Laurel stepped away from Tommy and said, "Me too. Want some company?"

Felicity tried to hide her surprise at the offer and looked to Oliver for advice. He gave her a nod and the two women went off together in search of champagne. They left Oliver and Tommy behind in an awkward silence.

"This is a nice surprise. I thought you didn't attend these kind of events," Tommy finally commented.

Oliver took a moment to try to figure out how to act around him. He'd forgotten that one of the other reasons why he avoided these events was because of Tommy's almost guaranteed presence, "Felicity wanted to come. Besides, it's a good cause."

"That it is," Tommy said with a smile, as Oliver pushed his hands deep inside his pants pockets. "So…you and Felicity seem to be going strong," Tommy said, going for well meaning but making Oliver slightly uncomfortable.

"We are…she is amazing," was what he finally settled on.

"I'm glad to hear it, Oliver. After everything that happened in your life…you deserve to be happy," Tommy said scuffing his toe against the floor almost shyly.

Oliver knew he meant it. Tommy was that kind of guy, honest and optimistic. The kind of man Oliver truly wished sometimes he could be. When his family was still alive, he and Tommy were great friends. They went to the same school and both their parents had been friends for many years. Naturally, he and Tommy became quick friends and they spent almost every waking moment not at school, together. Oliver remembered spending endless hours at the Merlyn home. Tommy was with him at his family's funeral, and the last time Oliver had seen of him was at the Queen Mansion before he left for Russia. Tommy belonged to a part of Oliver's life that had died when his family was murdered. And he was sure if things had been different, if he had not been raised by Anatoly in Russia, if his life had been different, they would still be friends. Perhaps Tommy would still be his best friend. Now, they were nothing but strangers.

"Thank you, Tommy," Oliver said, touched by his old friends kind words.

"Listen, I know that we aren't as close as we were when we were children. I get that, I know that what happened to your family changed you," Tommy said, taking a few seconds to gather his thoughts. "But I just wanted you to know, that if you ever feel like talking – a shoulder to cry on, a bud to share a drink with, someone to help you pick an engagement ring out – I'm your man. If you want me to," Tommy said brutally honest, making something shatter inside of Oliver. He felt like all of the defenses he had worked so hard to build all these years were about to shatter at a couple words from his childhood friend.

"Tommy…" Oliver said, feeling a rush of emotions wash over him. He wished he could go back to the life he had before. But he wouldn't, not while he was The Crow, not while China White and Anatoly were out there. Not while they weren't safe.

"Don't worry about it, ok? Just think about it," Tommy said, softly patting Oliver on the shoulder. "I better go find my fiancé, only God knows what she is telling Felicity. I'll see you around, Oliver," Tommy said with a sad smile, leaving Oliver behind with the bitter taste of a life that he could have had if it wasn't so cruelly taken away from him.

* * *

After having the oddest but nicest conversation with Laurel about the benefits of helping out the Children's Hospital, Felicity made her way to where Oliver stood by the bar. He had a shot of whiskey in his hand, and he was looking down at the drink, a certain emptiness in his eyes. He looked a bit broken, and it made Felicity ache to be near him and take it all away. She hated to see the numbness in his eyes, how he tried to detach himself of any extreme emotion that could break his precious control. She knew him enough to know he thought he needed this, that it was the only way he could keep on going, but she was here now and things were different.

"Are you ok?" she asked him softly, when she reached him, worry clear on her face.

"I'm fine," he whispered shortly, before taking the entire drink in one long gulp and putting the crystal glass on top of the bar. Snaking his arm around her waist he said, "Come here." When she was tucked close to his chest Oliver leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "Look to your right. There's a woman with a long golden gown, the Asian man dancing with her is Lao."

When her eyes caught sight of the man she snorted and whispered back, "Oh, he really doesn't look like a crime mastermind." The comment made Oliver chuckle, as he knew that the prime rule in the crime business was to not bring attention to you. Lao was the kind of man that blended in well. No one had any reason to suspect him of having connections with the Triad or China White.

Oliver moved a hand down her back, making it look like an intimate moment between two lovers, not planning for their information seeking mission, "Diggle will move in and bug his phone while we find Henriksen's office. Not strictly legal, well not legal at all but it can put the Feds on the right trail."

"I checked the prints of the estate. I know where his office is. Are you sure he would keep his important files offline there? Wouldn't that be too obvious?"

"Sometimes the most obvious things are the hardest for us to see," Oliver said as Felicity rolled her eyes at his insightful comment. She didn't know he had it in him.

"Fine, Obi-Wan," she teased as she took out her phone and held it between their bodies. She began assessing the security system of Henriksen's home, that she had hacked the night before, "You were right. Not the best security. Which is suprising. I'm looking the footage from the last hour. By the looks of it they probably won't notice for a while and when they do it'll come up as a glitch that they have to reboot the entire system for. I'd say we have about a half an hour."

"I can work with that time frame. Let's do this. I want to leave this damn party as soon as possible," Oliver said, as he and Diggle exchanged a look. Diggle nodded as Oliver took Felicity's hand and they moved them through the crowd. A few people stopped them on the way, but a few minutes later they emerged from the crowd and emerged in the gardens. They looked like a happy couple exploring the grounds. No one noticed when they took a servers entrance back inside the house or when they slipped through to the private side of the house. Felicity led them with her phone and they didn't encounter even one security guard. The security really was abysmal here.

"Here," Felicity said, turning back to look at a door they'd almost passed. Like the time she had broken into the Queen Mansion she had narrowed it down to this room. She grabbed the handle, "It's locked."

"Ok, that was expected," Oliver said, as he removed a small case from inside his suit and took out his lock picking tools. Felicity kept watch as he opened the door with a few precise movements. "Let's go," Oliver whispered, as both of them slipped into the office.

The office was dark so Felicity removed a small flashlight from her clutch and Oliver pulled one from inside his jacket. They looked around the dark room. It was filled with bookcases, a large leather couch, and a sturdy looking wooden desk with a leather chair behind it. There was no computer in site.

"The computer must be hidden," Oliver whispered, as he and Felicity looked around.

They moved around the dark room and checked the bookcase, the couch, the desk drawers, and Oliver even moved to try to see if there was a fake wall somewhere. But still they found nothing.

"Fuck," Oliver groaned, frustrated, "It has to be around here somewhere."

"Oliver," Felicity whispered/called out, her hands deep inside one of the desk drawers. She knocked gently, "I think this one has a fake bottom."

"Let me see," Oliver said as he took her spot, Felicity lighting his way. He moved his hands around the sides, and found a small hidden lock. Pulling out his lock picking kit he worked inside the drawer until they heard a small click. Oliver removed the fake bottom, "Thank you predictable and reliable carpenter."

"What are you talking about?"

"My father's desk has the same fake bottom," Oliver answered as he removed the small laptop from inside the drawer. He held it out to Felicity, "Now it's your turn. Work your magic, baby."

Felicity took the small computer with a grin and plugged it in. It took a few seconds to boot and she quickly surpassed the password lock on it. The laptop had better security than the house but it only took her a couple minutes to surpass it and start opening files, "This has better security but not good enough. And any chance for Wi-Fi has been disabled on this laptop. You were right. He kept most of his stuff offline. They're encrypted so let's take them on a ride." She removed a small flash drive from inside of her clutch and began copying the files.

"It'll take a few minutes," she whispered, standing back up and watching as the files were copied inside the flash drive.

Oliver peeked over her shoulder and suspiciously said, "Hmm that was strangely easy."

"What did you expect?" she asked him, moving her eyes from the screen to him.

He hooked his chin there and said, "Maybe some lasers and super-secret files placed on pressure points. You see it all the time in the movies. Those things are never that easy. At least not to me. Extracting information is always messy as far as I know."

"It's not a James Bond movie, Oliver. Have you done this before? And if so what would you normally do in these situations?" she inquired. This close to him she could see the crinkle of his brow.

"I put the fear of God in whoever I'm interrogating until they give me what I need."

Felicity raised her eyebrows, "Well…this happens to be a computer, not a human being that you can go all 'grrr' on."

He rolled his eyes and said, "Ha ha."

"God I hate these things. It makes my fingertips itch," Felicity said, flexing her hands and leaning down to start typing again. She wanted to make sure that she covered their trail, "Wipe down any fingertips while I work on this please?"

Oliver pulled out some strategically placed wipes from his pocket and set to work, "Ay ay, Captain."

She spared him a glance and saw that he was grinning at his own teasing joke. Any other time they would never use his title, but they were alone and Oliver's mini jammer was still on his watch, "I'm almost done. We'll be out of here in a minute."

"I still expected more trouble for a guy that is possibly hiding crimes against humanity and working with crime lords. I would never be this sloppy," Oliver said as he moved around the room quickly and confidently, "I hope Diggle is doing as good as we are."

"I bet he is. As for this computer, he did have a nice system to protect his files," Felicity commented, "But I'm pretty good at what I do."

"Aren't you modest," Oliver teased her as he returned to her side, raising an eyebrow.

Before Felicity could say anything to take the smug smile off of Oliver's face, they heard a commotion in the hallway next to the office. It was Diggle's voice discussing something with someone that sounded irate. They were getting closer.

Felicity looked at Oliver in panic. This wasn't part of the plan, "I still need a minute or so."

He moved quicker than he ever had before. Clearing some things off in a fail swoop he placed Felicity on top of the desk and pressed himself between her pressed thighs. Closing the laptop but for an inch he hitched up her dress skirt over it, exposing her long and tempting legs. Before she could ask what he was doing he was pressing his lips against hers.

She held tightly onto his back as he pushed his tongue inside her parted lips, making her groan. Oliver helped her wrap her bare legs around his waist. They kissed hungrily. When oxygen became a necessity, he let go of her lips, and kissed down her jaw, nibbling her neck and collarbone. Felicity threw her head back as he sucked on the little spot that usually made her burst out into a peal of laughter.

"Oliver," she moaned, her eyes closed, partially lost in the pleasure that his lips were causing. They heard a small beep next to them, signaling the file transfer was done. As if they had practiced it, Oliver pulled out the drive and Felicity shut off the computer before the door burst open.

"Man! What the hell" Oliver said, trying to use his hand to protect his eyes from the sudden light. The lights were suddenly turned on from a side panel they'd missed and both could see a security guard and Diggle standing at the entrance.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" the security guard shouted at them. Oliver's eyes flickered to Diggle and the man nodded. He'd been able to bug the phone of Henriksen's main office line.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Queen. I tried to stop him," Diggle said, playing his part as concerned bodyguard. He must have bugged the phone and came in search of them. Right before the secret office they were in he had met the bodyguard.

"It's ok John," Oliver said as he hid Felicity's legs from the guards view. "Hi," Oliver said to the security guard, "This is awkward."

The man didn't look amused, "This area is restricted. What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Oliver said, trying to play the playboy millionaire card, looking down at the way his body and Felicity's were pressed together. "We were looking for a private space. As you can see, we were kind of busy."

"How did you two got here?" the security asked through clenched teeth.

"The door was ajar. It was empty and I didn't think nobody would care if we used the room for ten minutes," Oliver said, "Well maybe fifteen. Hell even a half an hour." Felicity had to hide her face against his chest to hide her smile at Oliver's persona and what it was doing to the guard.

The security guard took a step forward and said, "I'm afraid I will have to ask you two to leave."

"Fine, fine," Oliver said, as he moved his hands down Felicity's gown and looked down between them. Even if they were interrupted and were playing a role, Felicity still made him hard with just a kiss and press of her body against his, "Could you give us a minute? I need to…compose myself and my partner here."

"One minute," the security guard warned, as he and Diggle left the office.

Quickly Oliver moved away from Felicity. She righted her dress as Oliver put back the small computer inside the drawer and locked it. He made sure the drive was safely in his suit jacket before buttoning it and helping Felicity off the desk. They fixed the things on the desk and it was like they were never there.

He took Felicity's hand and walked out of the room, where Diggle and the security guard were staring each other down.

"Look, is there a way to keep this between us? I don't need the tabloids running a story about me having a quickie at a charity gala. So what do you say?" Oliver asked the security guard while pulling out a couple hundred dollars, "Can I count on your discretion?"

"I'm sure I can do that, Mr. Queen," the guard said, taking the bills from Oliver's hand and putting them away in his slacks.

"Thank you," Oliver said as pulled Felicity along, Diggle following them down the hall, "I need some champagne. Come on, baby."

Felicity patted his jacket, where she could feel the drive. They'd done well even if they almost got caught, "Maybe something a little stronger when we get home."

Oliver took the out she was giving him, "Something stronger sounds good. Let's donate a little money and then go home."

* * *

An hour later, they were finally able to leave the gala. Felicity was anxious to start working on decrypting the files that they got from Henriksen's computer so they went straight to the foundry where she could at least set the files in her programs overnight. Diggle left them there with the car and took a cab home, where his wife Lyla was waiting for him.

She'd hoped that it would be quick setting it up but it had been already twenty minutes. Felicity had removed her strappy heels and let her hair down, while Oliver had removed his jacket and tie. Her eyes trailed after him when he snapped the suspenders. She hadn't caught them earlier and she imaged wrapping her hands around them and pulling him close.

Ever since they left Henriksen's office, there was a tension in the air. A spark between them that was on the coat tails of the make out session they had in his private office that was countered by Henriksen's sudden appearance combined with Tommy's. Oliver felt agitated and aroused was an odd way to feel and paced in front of Felicity's desk as she worked.

She looked gorgeous tonight; the green gown and earrings a perfect contrast against her pale skin. He focused in on her even more when she growled at the problem and began typing almost furiously. She looked like a goddess all night. But it was now, in this moment, where she was most beautiful to him. She was relaxed yet focused, despite the growl at her screen. This was the woman he had fell in love. The real Felicity Smoak.

"Oliver. This is me noticing you not walking any longer and staring," she said, not looking up from her screen, a teasing grin on her face.

He grinned as he came around the desk and moved to kiss her naked shoulder, "It's not my fault. You're too gorgeous for your own good. Sitting there typing away."

"Oliver, I've got to finish this," she said, closing her eyes at the delicious feeling of his lips against her skin, "Well at least set it up. You know I hate mysteries. I've got to solve this."

"The programs will do that for you," Oliver growled into her ear, spinning her chair around, finally coming face to face with her, "I want you."

She felt the mood in the room change and she leaned closer to him when he placed his hands on the armrests, hovering over her. She pressed her legs together and licked her lips, "Is that so?"

Oliver hummed and ducked down to run his nose across her cheek before looking down at her again, "All of you."

She tipped her head in contemplation and hooked her forefingers around his suspenders, "I want all of you too."

His eyes shown with mischief and lust. Ever since their talk a couple days ago they'd been waiting patiently (not so patiently) for Diggle to return with their results. Earlier in the car Diggle had practically thrown the results at them with the smuggest smile ever. They'd forgotten about it till now, "All of me?"

She pulled on the suspenders and let them snap, watching his eyes darken even more before breaking the dam by whispering, "You can come inside."

Oliver made a small pleased noise as they both moved quickly, surging towards each others lips in a heated kiss, her arms moving around his neck and allowing him to slip his hands inside the hem of her dresses slit and bringing her legs around his waist. He pulled her off the chair and towards the nearest flat surface that wasn't her workspace.

That flat surface ended up being one of the cold support columns. She gasped, the contrasting icy against her heated skin. She moved her hands up and down his chest, feeling the hard muscles beneath his clothing while they nipped at each other lips. He pushed her dress up her hips, using the high slit to part the endless fabric, and let him dig into her skin.

Oliver latched onto her delicate neck, while she moaned his name. He held her with the force of his powerful hips, while one hand moved to press against her breasts. The other found it's way between her thighs and towards her hot center.

"Fuck, I want you so much," he groaned, making her close her eyes with a hiss when he pressed against her clit through the fabric. He circled his thumb for a couple moments before becoming impatient and pushing the fabric aside.

"Oliver!" she keened, as he found his way inside of her, his fingers slotting inside without any resistance. She was wet already. It became even better when his fingers began dancing inside of her and his hand grasped her bare ass.

"What kind of panties are these, Ms. Smoak. Aren't you a dirty girl?" he teased, now pressing three fingers inside of her, and making her pant against his lips.

Felicity pulled back from their heated kisses and bit his lip in retaliation, fingers digging into his back, "No pantie lines."

"I want them," he growled, dropping her legs to the ground and crouching down in front of her. If it wasn't for the warmth of his body she was pretty sure she would have fallen forward as Oliver yanked her panties down and pocketed them. Felicity didn't mind at all as he pulled her back up and around him; pressing her back against the column and plunging his fingers back inside of her, this time faster and harder than before.

"Oh God," she moaned, holding on tightly to his suspenders; lost in her own pleasure.

Oliver simply couldn't get enough of her. The feel of her in his arms, her smell, her taste. She made him feel so much more, like every inch of his skin was alive. No matter how many times he would have her, he knew this feeling would never go away. She would always make him feel everything. Because she was everything.

"Come for me, baby," Oliver moaned against her ear, as he pushed against her clit one final time, making her explode in his arms. Her legs locked around him and her heart hammered against her chest, bare toes curling as her orgasm hit her. And what excited her and kept her clinging to him was the fact that she knew he wasn't done yet.

"Baby, I need you. Please," Oliver groaned as he hiked her up higher on the pillar and braced her against the wall, working his pants open with one hand as Felicity rode her high. Her other hand came to help him out of his pants. She watched his head tip back with a moan when she wrapped her hand around his hard and aching member. Her thumb circled the tip, spreading the precum over the head. Oliver's head dropped to her neck, "God, Felicity."

She pumped him slowly, hand steadily bringing him closer to completion, "Oliver look at me." Felicity felt an immense satisfaction flow over her when she saw how debauched he looked, panting mouth open, and eyes solely on her. She probably looked the same as she watched him. She tipped her head and guided his head to her slit, running the head over her moist folds. She beared down a little when his head caught on her center. "I need to feel you inside of me," she whispered against his lips, and in one quick move, he was inside of her, hips firmly slated across hers.

He slid into her easily, her orgasm making her hot and slick. They both moaned at the heavenly sensation of being joined together with nothing between them. He held himself still for a second, holding tightly onto her with his forehead against hers as he tried to control himself.

Felicity held tightly onto him, breath coming fast as she whispered that she loved him against his lips. She'd never felt so full or so pleased to be pressed against someone.

He moved slowly at first, letting her get used to the feel of him inside of her. She groaned at the shallow thrusts, her fingers sliding down his chest and coming around to grip his strong naked ass as if trying to pull him deeper inside of her.

"I need it harder, Oliver," she moaned against his ear, nipping his earlobe and rolling the skin there between her teeth before muttering the filthiest thing she'd said to him to date, "Come inside me."

Any control he was trying to keep went out the window when she moaned those words to him. He pulled almost all the way out, before pushing harder and deeper than before, making her groan his name and dig her nails into his ass. His hips began pistoning in and out of her. He wanted to make her come again because of those filthy words. Wanted to feel her insides clench around his cock as he spilled inside of her.

"Oliver," she moaned, as he hooked his hands under her knees and opened her for him, his pace still punishing. His lips found her neck again, sucking hard, knowing that he would leave the skin bright red.

Letting go of his ass, Felicity's hands fumbled up to pull his mouth towards her. She kissed him, her tongue delving inside and meeting his. Their moans and grunts echoed against the foundry walls, the smell of sweat and sex filling the room.

Oliver felt the beginning of the familiar feeling at the base of his spine. He knew he was close to his orgasm; much closer than he would like to be. But like Felicity, they lost control when around each other. Once more he wrapped her legs around him and found his way to the small bud of nerves at her clit.

"Oh," she gasped, closing her eyes and leaning her head back. He attacked her neck with open-mouthed kisses as he thumbed at her clit; her orgasm approaching, "Don't stop."

"Fuck, Felicity," he moaned, moving both his lips and fingers faster, trying to hold back as long as he could.

Felicity came with a load moan, her back arching as she keened against him. Her walls contracted around him, making him loose all control. He couldn't hold back his orgasm anymore, spilling inside of her. He plastered himself against her, enjoying the rolling waves of his release.

They stood unmoving for a few minutes, hearts beating out of control and panting. When Oliver started to feel his legs and back burning from the thorough love making he gently removed himself from her. He didn't move away because her legs felt lose and like jello. He took her into his arms, holding her tight against him as they tried to ground themselves. Her arms circled his waist and he buried his nose against the top of her head as they caught their breath.

She moved her hand up and down his arms, enjoying the last few moments of bliss together. Felicity pulled at the back of his suspenders, "I think we might have to keep these."

Oliver kissed her skin before pulling away from her. "Do you, now?" he said, teasing her.

"Oh yeah, I can see endless possibilities in here," she said, kissing his lower lip. He smiled.

"Who knew my girl was such a wildcat?" he teased, kissing her forehead before trailing up to kiss the crown of her head.

"What can I say? The whole secret mission vibe, James Bond style we had going, really worked for me," Felicity blurted out easily. When she realized what she'd said she backtracked, coming back to herself, "I mean…you know the adventure and…" She stopped talking and ducked her head, "You're not going to let me forget what I just said, aren't you?"

"Nope. Not going to forget one bit of you, ever," he answered, popping the 'p' like she had done earlier. Moments like this were new and precious and worth remembering for as long as possible. He righted her dress as she helped him right his pants. "You know if I'm James Bond then that makes you my sexy Bond girl."

Felicity laughed, fingers zipping him up, "If anyone's the sexy Bond girl it's you."

Oliver pinched her bottom in retaliation, causing her to jump, "Your stuff is going to be running all night long. Let's go home Ms. Bond."

Felicity let him finish righting her dress, loving eyes watching him. They had made a pretty good team tonight; reading each other's queues and bodies as if they knew each other inside and out. They made a good team. A great team even, "As you wish Mr. Queen."

* * *

**A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter! Two hits of smut after all the craziness that happened on this weeks Arrow! You like?! Until next week! 3**

**Love,**

**PoisonAngelMuse &amp; TheAlternativeSource**


	15. Earned It

**The Crow Chapter 15 – Earned It**

**Disclaimer**: We own nothing but our plot and our own characters. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to DC Comics and CW Television. All rights over this idea and its concepts belong to us. This work is intended for the private enjoyment of the reader and is not to be shared on any other sites (besides AO3 and FF) or events without our express permission.

* * *

**A/N: Hi everyone! No Arrow this week. But no fear! We're here with a new chapter! Enjoy dears! Also don't forget to check out the note at bottom for something additional! 333**

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**Link for The Crow Soundtrack - /lyra-aureus/the-crow-official-soundtrack**

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**Music - Earned It by The Weekend**

* * *

_You make it look like it's magic__  
__Cause I see nobody, nobody__  
__But you__  
__I'm never confused__  
__I'm so used to being used_

_So I love when you call unexpected__  
__Cause I hate when the moments expected__  
__So I'mma care for you_

_I'mma care for you, you, you_

_Cause girl you're perfect__  
__You're always worth it__  
__And you deserve it__  
__The way you work it__  
__'Cause girl you earned it__  
__Girl you earned it_

_You know our love would be tragic__  
__So you don't pay it, don't pay it__  
__No mind__  
__We live with no lies__  
__You're my favorite kind of night_

* * *

Oliver snuffled against her neck sleepily. He was calm. Sleepy even.

A couple days after their adventure, a la James Bond, and they were no where nearer to accessing the usb drive full of information that they had collected from Henriksen's home. So they did what they did best. They bid their time. They went to work, trained and spent their mornings and evenings together. Life kept on going and with every waking moment spent in each other's company...they felt their bond continue to grow.

Oliver would wake up sprawled across Felicity or Felicity sprawled across him. Or even curled around each other; hands clutching around hips and shoulders. Each day it was with each other. He would always wake up earlier than her. His fingers would tangle in her hair, stroking it lightly. Or his hand would slide over the curve of her hip and rest on her stomach, pulling her closer to his body. This was their place together.

Felicity would wake up then with a yawn, arms spreading out in front of her as her body arched. His eyes traced her body, lust blossoming as her chest would push up into the air; sometimes bare and sometimes not. Sometimes it would lead to her pinning him down or on one memorable occasion her legs on his shoulders. They would continue their day by jogging, showering and eating breakfast before separating off for their days. And by the end of the day they would unite again to have dinner and bask in each other's presence.

Each day he spent with her he felt like a small part that was resisting the inevitable change in his life's future, fell away. He wanted this. Here with her. In many ways he knew that he was starting to want it as much as she did. She didn't have to tell him how she felt. Oliver saw the way that her eyes caught on the guards around the house when they went on their runs, or when he went to his office at the mansion and spent a couple hours there working on things that made him angry and cross. The Bratva world soured him. But then she would appear, her lips spread into a smile and her warm touch coaxing him to relax and come back to her. The woman he loved.

That's what they were doing now.

Oliver had his back pressed against their headboard, pillows swept off to the side, and legs open so Felicity could sit with her back pressed against his chest. When she had settled he had wound his arms around her waist and settled them low on her belly; fingers idly tapping against the skin there. Without pause she'd hike up her knees and settle her book there, reading to him in such a calm and soothing voice that all of his anger would just melt away.

Eventually he would hook his chin over shoulder, avoiding that spot that made her laugh, and comment and poke and jab at whatever Felicity was reading. She knew it was all in jest and played along with him until he would get sleepy eyed and quiet against her.

"Are you sleeping or listening to me read?" Felicity asked, tipping her head to the side to see him, but it was of no use. Oliver had his face firmly tucked into her neck.

He spoke against her skin, "I'm awake." It came out muffled.

Felicity laughed and tried to resist jerking her head to the side. He'd touched that spot that got her every time, "Sure doesn't sound like it. Prove it."

Oliver blew at her skin and held tightly onto her as she laughed, jerking to get away from him. She placed her bookmark in her book and then placed it to the side. Grabbing his hands she stopped him before leaning back into him; little panting breaths leaving her. He felt the sleepiness fade away, "I'll prove it alright."

Felicity patted his hands, "None of that. I'm still aching from that workout earlier."

"I'm sorry," Oliver whispered. They had planned another work out at the mansion, this time with Diggle and Roy observing them and giving Felicity pointers on Oliver's weak spots; the little ones that were there. Four hours later and Felicity had actually managed to take him down twice. Once by practically tackling him from behind. They had ended up in a tangled mess on the floor; Roy cheering Felicity on and Diggle shaking his head even though he'd been the one to show Felicity how to tackle him.

"It's not your fault. I managed to knock you down."

He liked the pride he heard in her voice. Oliver scoffed and moved his head away to see her, "By luck."

As expected Felicity turned quickly, affronted look on her face, "I took you down fair and square!" She turned her body a little so she could poke him on his chest; right over his tattoo, "Scared to admit that the big bad Crow got taken down by a Goth. Well previously known as a Goth."

Oliver grabbed her finger and brought it to his mouth, kissing it. Her eyes locked onto where her finger lay. He smiled with her finger still against her lip, "Not scared. Proud. You did well. Even against the 'big bad Crow'."

The corners of Felicity's lips lifted up as she pulled her hand away and turned to throw her legs over his thigh, body now completely turned to the side. She pursed her lips together, collecting her thoughts to ask him something that had been on her mind for a while. He waited for her patiently.

Felicity eyes lifted and zeroed in on his tattoo, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Oliver answered, trying now to tense as her hand came up hesitantly. He accepted her silent request and she ran her knuckles down his crow tattoo, her thumb tracing the bullet wound near. His skin broke out in goosebumps but he let her continue her gentle exploration of the marks that spoke of whom he was and what he'd done.

He knew what she wanted.

"How did you become The Crow?" she asked as her palm spread across his tattoo, "How did you get this?"

He expected the words to be hard. He expected the words to get stuck in his throat. What he didn't expect was the words to come tumbling out of his mouth with no preamble.

"I was a happy child," he began as he wrapped an arm around her back to support her, "Good parents and a...beautiful sister. Everything was good until it was all gone. Disappeared. I know I don't have to go into specifics. I know you researched me as much as I researched you."

Felicity nodded. She had done plenty of research on him. Her finger ran over the bullet scar, "From the night they were killed. The first of many."

Oliver nodded, watching her hand for a moment. "When there was nothing left, my Uncle Anatoly came and found me," Oliver said with false wistfulness. He didn't care to remember this part of his life. But she wanted to know. He continued, "Life was completely different after that. I had found a mother figure with Raisa after being alone. But even that became harder to grasp onto when the Bratva demanded you to be a specific way since childhood."

Felicity kept her warm hand on his chest, eyes locked on the crow that peeked out in between her fingers. His other hand came up to rest on her knees.

"They have a special school for Bratva children. Where you can learn to be the best of the best. It was around that time that I met Slade and where I learned that I was to be the successor to Anatoly's empire." His mind flashed back to the people that picked on him, teased him, and beat him before Slade came around. It also flashed upon that cold and dark part of the house and the first time he had been tested in his youth. Both times changed him completely, "Anatoly was the man who showed me my first kill. By his hands of course. He was also instrumental in my first kill by my own hands."

Felicity looked up at him in horror, eyes finally leaving his skin, "What do you mean?"

"He set up the first that I killed. Told them that if they killed me then their debt would be forgiven. That's the night it really began. This tattoo here, followed not long after. The Crow…it symbolizes the one that dances with death; that even though many people have tried to kill me I have survived. Just like a Crow. That's why I got it here," he said as he placed a hand on top of the one on his chest, "Right above my heart. Right where that bullet should had killed me when I was a kid. That's also why Anatoly loved that nickname."

"Oh, God. I think I'm going to be sick."

"Of me?" Oliver asked. There was vulnerability in his eyes.

Felicity shook her head and moved to cup his cheeks, "Oh no. For Anatoly. He makes me sick. You didn't deserve that."

His eyes watched her for a second. Trying to see if this was real. If there really was somebody there willing to hear about his past and still want to be with him. Still love him. Felicity smiled at him and he knew. That someone was her. He leaned forward, pressing his head against hers. They revelled in the silence for a couple minutes. Basked in the fact that she was there with him.

Using her grip on his cheeks she pulled back from Oliver and made sure she had his eye before speaking, "I love you. Thank you for sharing that with me."

He smiled, it was small but it was there even after what he had revealed, "I love you too."

Pressing a sweet kiss to his mouth Felicity curled into him and tucked her head against his shoulder. Oliver followed suit and grasped her legs, bringing her closer to him while leaning his head against hers. Both felt drained. The long day, the reading and the confession had tired them. But there was nowhere else they'd rather be.

She felt the first pulls of sleepiness really hit her when Oliver started running his fingers through her hair. Her eyes began to droop when he spoke.

"I forgot to mention. I talked to Walter a couple days ago. Thought it would be a good idea if you had a job at QC. A cover of sorts and maybe...maybe something for after."

Felicity smiled lazily, eyes falling closed as she kissed his neck, "Trying to keep me close Queen?"

Oliver's body shook with light laughter before he settled, fingers continuing to run through her hair, "And what if I said yes."

"Then I'd say good. I'm not going anywhere. Not now. Not ever."

"Good," he said as he pressed his face into her hair, smiling. He'd whispered those words to her a couple days ago and she had caught on to the fact that he liked it. She had ended every night since then telling him that. He felt as she dropped even more against him until her soft breath signalled that she had fallen asleep, "Not now. Not ever."

* * *

The night after he revealed his past as The Crow and the significance of his mark, Felicity, Oliver, Sara, Diggle and Roy were once more at the foundry. Roy and Sara were chatting and cleaning the workout equipment. Oliver and Diggle were training across the room on the training mats. And Felicity was faithfully sitting at her computer updating herself on the status of FBI, DEA, and any other organization that had begun pouring into the city. They had spent about two hours there when Felicity's programs started beeping out of control, alerting all that they had finally done their job and were working. They had decrypted everything and that made Felicity throw her fist up in the air and shout, "Finally!"

Everyone turned to her, practically dropping everything to come over and surround her desk; Oliver right by her right shoulder.

"What'd you find?" Oliver asked, hand falling to her shoulder. Getting the information might have been easy but decrypting it was another matter. Henriksen had security of the highest calibre there. But nothing that Felicity couldn't work her way through.

Felicity's eyes started scanning through all the folders and files that had been reconstructed. What she had...no what they had found was horrifying.

Apparently Henriksen was involved in more than just human trafficking. While others cornered things like drugs or sex for China White, Henriksen had a specialty dealing with things that had beating hearts and that companies would pay millions for. Henriksen was in the business of body parts.

On his computer they found emails confirming the manifests and emails connecting to the emails they'd found when they entered China White's systems. They also found that this wasn't the first time that Henriksen had dealt in human trafficking. It had been the fifteenth time in the past two decades.

Felicity felt like she was going to throw up as she continued to relay her results to Oliver, Diggle, Roy and Sara, who surrounded her.

Henriksen, as a city official, worked with Yung Lao, the CEO of Lao Global and Logistics, to make sure that no one saw what was really in those shipments that were brought over from China. He would help Lao cover people being taken in China, their transportation and where they were housed across Starling City until the pharmaceutical company they worked with bought them. They had a sneaking suspicion the properties they'd found when looking through China White's files were connected to this as well.

And what shocked Felicity even more, is that it wasn't just some small company that was dealing in these body parts. It was one of the thriving pharmaceutical companies in Starling City. One that had close ties to Queen Consolidated; the Amex BioResearcher Group. Apparently QC had signed on last year to develop a project for the company. It had been the talk of the Medical Department for weeks.

Oliver was furious.

"Fuck!" he said as he swept everything off a worktable, sending all the equipment sailing across the room.

Felicity jumped and stopped her reading, watching as Oliver fumed.

"How the hell did this get past me?!" Oliver bellowed, slamming his hands on the table, "How did we miss this? Every company that is vetted and double, even triple checked by us. John? Sara? Roy?"

All of them froze in place when his eyes passed over them. They didn't know what to say to those furious blue eyes.

Felicity took a chance and stepped in front of the frozen trio. Oliver's angry eyes stopped on her calm face as she approached him, her hands held up. She stopped a couple feet from him.

"Hey, calm down," Felicity said, instantly regretting the words when his eyes widened.

"Calm down?!" he shouted, eyes cold, throwing his hands up in the air, "How can I calm down when you're telling me that a company that is connected to QC is connected to human trafficking which is in fact, an illegal organ market?"

"I'm sorry, calm down isn't the best thing to say to someone who's upset," Felicity backtracked, "What I mean is lets take a moment to think this through. Let's not yell and throw our hands in the air. Let's talk. What we found is big, dangerous information. What we need to figure out is how to get this information out? How to get it to someone that can do something?"

Oliver's mind clutched at her words, slowing his breathing. When he finally felt like he wasn't about to try to break the table into two he said, "You mean how can we get this information to the FBI, DEA or any of the organizations that has made their way into town."

"Exactly," Felicity said. She was relieved to see his breathing slowing down and his eyes losing their cold nature, "What they're doing is wrong and they've been doing it for years. And I'm betting that the last account that we found when we looked through the Triad's system belongs to Wells Pharmaceuticals. It's too much of a coincidence. That account was huge."

"What about my father?" Sara's voice cut in from behind them.

Both turned to look at Sara, Felicity saying, "Yes" while Oliver said, "No."

Felicity and Oliver turned to each other again.

"It's a good idea," Felicity began.

Oliver looked to the side and shook his head, "We gave him information once. A good samaritan. A second time would bring attention down upon him."

Felicity fiddled her fingers before stepping closer to him, "Quentin's our best shot. Out of everyone in Starling City we know that he isn't in anyone's pockets. He wants to see them go down as much as we do. We can make it work with him."

Oliver pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes. This was his family's company. And here he was seeing evidence of more wrongdoing that he had let slip through the cracks. He felt a slap of shame hit him at yelling at his friends. It wasn't just their duty to check and make sure everything was tiptop with the people they dealt with. It was his job to check. His job as well to make sure. A small nagging part of him wondered if Anatoly knew about this. The deal was relatively new and he had always kept QC's legit business to himself. But what if?

"Oliver?" Felicity asked, gaining his attention again, "What do you think?"

"This will bring heat on him."

"He can handle it," Felicity said, turning to Sara to get her confirmation.

"He can do it," Sara said. John, Diggle and herself had lost the tension they held earlier, "She's right. He wants to get rid of them as much as we do."

Oliver stepped forward, finally entering Felicity's space, and placed a hand on her waist; turning her so Felicity and Oliver faced John, Sara and Roy. His eyes set on Diggle and Roy, "And what do you two think?"

Both men looked at each other before Roy answered first, "It might bring some attention down on him but he'll come through for us."

"And it's not like before. The Amex BioResearcher Group is clearly connected to China White, Henriksen, and Lao. We can give Quentin the information under the guise that Felicity found it while upgrading our systems. You did say that Walter hired her? What if she found this? What if she came to Sara to report because she knew that she had a father in the SCPD?" Diggle explained.

Everyone looked like they were considering it besides Oliver. His hold became firmer as he shook his head, "No. The reason why I got Felicity that job with Walter was to guarantee that she had an official position to cover her. This isn't covering her."

"It also isn't your choice alone," Felicity argued determinedly, "This seems like a good plan Oliver."

"Seems being the key word," Oliver stressed, hand still on her, "This is not happening."

"Then what do you suggest?" Felicity challenged. Oliver opened his mouth to say something but nothing came to mind. He pursed his lips when she raised an eyebrow; knowing that she'd won. "We can do this Oliver. If not for all the people at QC that you wanted me to protect but for your family, for those people that the Amex BioResearcher Group has been buying through China White."

Oliver's shoulders slumped. He wanted to protect her. But he knew she was right. Quentin was their chance to do something right for these people and his family's company. No matter how much the man hated him and how much Oliver didn't want to be around him, the man would do right with this information, "We have to work on a cover story for you. Establish your employment at QC in projects that would give you access to QC's systems to discover this batch of information and its connection to what happened with the shipment just discovered."

Felicity opened her mouth to spew out some crazy tale to connect her with the access to have this information, excited that Oliver was going all aboard, when Sara held up a hand and said, "Well...I think I've got an idea."

* * *

To say that Oliver was frustrated was an understatement. He was fucking livid. He was a perfectionist by heart, and so to see so much sloppy work around Queen Consolidated made him exasperated to say the least.

He looked at the large stack of documents and projects that needed to be revised, and he let go an irritated sigh as he dropped his head back against his chair. That was exactly why he paid an enormous amount of money to his advisers and managers, so that he wouldn't worry about these kinds of things. He had too much to worry about already from the Bratva and the mess his life was, to have to worry about the efficiency of his workers. Yet here he was, locked inside his home office for the past four hours, his eyes burning from reading those contracts and reports, instead of spending his free time with Felicity.

He shifted against the large leather desk chair that used to belong to his father. He was tired, but most of all, he was troubled. The talk he had with Anatoly a few days prior about the Bratva transactions coming through Queen Consolidated, hadn't gone that well. Not that Oliver had expected Anatoly to be comprehensive about his concerns, or his doubts about how to keep the Feds and the IRS away from their business, but he hadn't expected his uncle to go thermo nuclear on him. Anatoly didn't appreciate being contradicted and he expected obedience and loyalty from all without question; especially from Oliver. He wasn't pleased when Oliver told him they needed to slow down. He was further annoyed when Oliver wouldn't give in.

Anatoly saw QC as a front for the Bratva and nothing else. A means to get what he needed to get done. But to Oliver, it represented the last part of his family, and he would fight for QC at all costs. He wouldn't risk it for Anatoly or for anyone else. Which lead to a very long and painful conversation with the Pakhan. The leader of the brotherhood didn't want to slow down the money laundering, in fact, he saw Felicity's program as a free for all to make their transactions bigger and bigger. The American government wasn't even an issue for him, because to Anatoly everyone had a price, and he believed he could bribe or kill anyone that dared to get in their way. But he didn't know all the things that Oliver knew. He didn't know how close the Feds were at getting the Triad, and that Oliver feared that China White could destroy all of them if she wanted to. If she got caught, what would stop her from making a deal and ratting him, Anatoly, and their whole operation?

That possibility had been nagging at Oliver for a while now. While he wanted nothing more than to end China White and the Triad, he also couldn't risk having his cover blown. When he first started planning his revenge against the Chinese mob, he always assumed he would kill China White or die trying; he never expected to use the right means to do it. Now there would be a investigation, charges filed and a trial. And if China thought she could take him and Anatoly down with her she would. Especially if she could get some kind of deal out of it.

While he knew he always had been at risk – being a Bratva Captain on U.S. soil – he didn't want Felicity and the others to pay for his crimes. No, he needed to find another way. He needed to have a plan B. A way to make sure that his family would be protected from the shit storm that would come after the Triad was taken down. Quentin getting the information that Felicity had found was the first step.

"Knock, knock," a voice said from the other side of his office door. It was Felicity, "Can I come in?"

"Please, come in Felicity," he called out, straightening in his seat as she stepped in, closing the door behind her. Her smile matched his. He noted that her feet were bare against the carpeted floor, bright red toenails contrasting with her pale skin, as she walked to him. She was a sight for sore eyes.

"Are you ok?" she asked worried, as he moved his chair to face her as she came around the side of his desk.

"Yeah," he said tiredly, looking back at the endless stack of documents on top of his desk, "Just flooded with work."

"You've been in here for hours, Oliver. It's past dinner time," she said, leaning her hip against the desk, her ruffled red dress fluttering around her pale thighs.

"I didn't notice the time," Oliver said, running his hand against his stubble as she looked down at him, "I'm sorry I didn't go have dinner with you."

"It's ok," she assured, running a hand over his short hair, her fingertips digging in lightly and making him close his eyes in pleasure, "Do you want me to ask Nicholai to make you something? A sandwich maybe?"

"No, I'm not hungry," Oliver said, turning his face towards her touch. He took her hand and brought to his lips, caressing her palm with his lips. He felt himself relax.

Felicity always knew how to make him feel better. While he was feeling suffocated with the dark possibilities of what life could bring, she was like a breath of fresh air; a light in his darkest days. Loving her made all this additional work on his desk worthwhile.

"You need to eat something, Oliver," she said softly, trying to hold back a moan when Oliver bit the tip of one of her fingers. "Please," she whispered, sounding much more breathy than she meant it to.

"Oh I plan to," he said with a wicked grin, no longer tired.

Before Felicity could ask what he meant by that he pulled her into his lap, his lips moving against hers, while he held tight onto her. Oliver's fingers carded through her hair and pulled back from her, allowing her to turn and straddle his lap. They kissed fervently, their tongues and lips dancing together, teeth and hands all over each other as she ground down against him. He was hard beneath her.

He moved his hands to her thighs, pressing his fingers against her heated skin, moving the soft fabric of her dress up on her hips, leaving bare skin behind. Felicity dug her fingernails into his shoulders before running them down his chest and towards his abs. She tried to move to his clothed member but Oliver caught her wrist.

"No," he whispered against her lips, moving her hand up to his neck, while he kneaded her ass.

"No?" she asked, slightly confused as he allowed her to unbutton his shirt.

"Not yet," he muttered against her parted lips. He pressed up against her heated core, his tongue dipping into her mouth and stroking hers.

Felicity moaned against his mouth, feeling the heat between her thighs increase until it was almost unbearable. She wanted to feel his skin against hers. She wanted to feel him pulsing inside of her. She moved her hands down his shirt, her trembling fingers failing to do their job of unbuttoning his shirt. With a frustrated sigh, she took a chance and yanked the shirt open, sending small buttons flying all over the room.

"Felicity," Oliver said, eyes wide and surprised as she trailed her fingers down his abdomen, making the muscles jump as her hands rested against the v of his hips.

"Oliver," she groaned, nipping down his strong jaw. She loved the feel of his stubble against her lips, loved to feel it moving down her breasts, down her thighs and against her core; leaving the skin raw and red.

Oliver moved his hands up her chest, moving the thin straps from her red dress down her arms. With her help it was left pooling at her waist. She wasn't wearing a bra. Oliver moved one hand to roll a nipple between his fingertips while he took the other into his mouth. He loved the taste of her skin, loved the noises that she made when he ran the flat of his tongue against the peak, loved how she pushed her hips harder against his, trying to find some relief.

She held onto the back of his neck while he nipped the tip with his teeth, making her moan his name. She pushed him harder against his chest, her eyes rolling in the back of her head, lost in the pleasure of Oliver's mouth on her skin. She knew she could come just like that, just the feeling of his cock pulsing against her center and his mouth giving her other breast the same treatment he'd given the first. Oliver was the only one that could make her feel like that.

"Please," she groaned when he stilled her hips, preventing her from finding any release to the growing ache inside of her.

"Oh, baby," he said, moving his strong hands down her hips, pressing her down into his lap and over the curve of his cock. Her breath hitched; the feeling was overwhelming.

Before she could even recognize what was happening Oliver was moving. Holding her against him, he pushed them up, while his right hand swept all the contents of his desk down to the floor. Papers and pens clattered on the floor as he put her up on top of the mahogany desk, her legs parted as he moved to stand between her thighs.

He leaned forward as if to tell her a dirty little secret. "I'm going to have my dinner now," he whispered, moving his hands down her thighs and pulling her towards the edge of the desk as he sat again in his chair.

Oliver looked at her with hooded eyes, dancing his fingertips against her skin as he moved the red fabric of her short dress up her thighs. Her breasts were still exposed and her hands had dropped to his shoulders. His hands moved under the dress, finding her simple cotton panties and slowly dragging them down her legs, eyes still locked with hers. The anticipation was dragging them both to the edge. When they were off he put her panties into his dress pants pocket.

He looked between her parted legs, her center dripping with need, pulsing to feel him inside of her. He moved his hand from her delicate calves to her thighs, making her moan at the soft touch at her hyper sensitive skin. Leaning forward he kissed her inner thigh, the touch teasing. He continued the soft kisses until he reached her center, his warm washing over her, making her moan his name once more.

He held her open to him, her flushed skin covered in her moisture, ready for him to take her any minute he desired to. But he wanted to taste her, to get lost in her taste and her moans. To hear her moaning his name, begging for more. To never stop.

Oliver knew it was time to move when she pressed at his shoulder.

His tongue peeked out of his mouth, the tip running over the soft outer folds of her entrance. She was more than just wet. She was drenched. He groaned as he opened his mouth further and teased the tip inside of her.

"God, Oliver," she moaned, hands leaving his shoulders and holding tightly to the desk, trying to find the edge to hold on to.

He held tightly onto her hips, his fingers digging into her pale skin while his tongue moved from her slit to her clit. He faintly touched it, her groans and moans spurring him on. He delved in, her taste filling his mouth. He wanted nothing more then to bury himself to the hilt in her, but he needed this. He needed to feel her exploding against his tongue. To feel her lost on him. So he began lapping on her, making her moans grow louder and louder.

He loved feeling her coming against his tongue. He had been addicted to it ever since the first time he had gone down on her, and no matter how many times they had been together ever since, it always drove him crazy.

He flicked at her nub, feeling more wetness pool there, making her thighs tremble on either side of his head. He looked up at Felicity when she leaned back to brace herself against the desk. Her eyes were closed, her mouth parted while she gasped for air. It was the sexiest thing he had ever seen.

He moved his tongue down to her entrance and moved it inside of her, softly fucking her with it, just the way he knew would drive her wild.

"Fuck!" she shouted, not being able to hold back her moans. One of her hands moved down to hold his head in place while he fucked her with his tongue. Oliver moved his right hand towards her clit, massaging it with his fingers while he pushed his tongue deeper inside her, making her thighs close around his head more than once. He played her like they were old lovers, alternating between fucking her with the tip of his tongue, sucking her clit and moving his fingers inside of her.

"Give it to me, Felicity," he whispered against the skin of her thigh when he pulled back, thrusting two fingers inside of her slowly, "Come for me."

He moved his tongue back to her clit, sucking on it, pushing his fingers faster inside of her until he felt her walls clamping down on him. She cried out, holding tightly onto his head, as her legs came up, her heels digging into his back. Her juices slipped down her thighs and down his face, as he hummed against her sex, drinking her in. He licked her through her orgasm, until her tremors slowed down, and she let go of his hair.

Oliver kissed the top of her clit and leaned back into the chair, letting her feel the last waves of her orgasm.

"Oh God," she whispered, lying down against the table. She felt like her skin was lit up with sparks and if she set one foot on the ground she'd fall right over. Her legs felt like jello; loose limbed and relaxed. His hands on her thighs were the only things that were grounding him, "That was good. No that was fantastic. Give me a moment."

Oliver laughed as he looked at her, a sated smile on her lips, her thighs parted and covered in her juices, her breasts moving up and down with each panting breath. He knew he had a smug smile on his face but he didn't care. All that mattered was that he had put that smile there. Even though his cock was aching inside of his pants and he felt he would explode just by touching her, he was happy just to watch her coming down from her high. He palmed himself through his slacks as he watched the beautiful picture in front of him.

"I think it's time for me to take care of you," Felicity said as she propped herself up to stare down her body at Oliver. Her smile turned wicked as she watched him palm is crotch.

"It's your fault," he said looking down at the tent in his pants. He teased, "You know I just can't resist you. But you don't need to. I'm happy just watching you come apart in my arms."

Felicity watched him for a couple seconds before saying, "I'm going to hop off this desk. You're going to place your hands on my hips to stop me from tipping over. You're then going to take my dress off and then you're going to fuck me. Or more realistically I'm going to sit on your lap and fuck."

Oliver practically growled as he followed her instructions; letting her dress fall to the floor and pulling her into his lap. She pushed her lips down on his while she settled into his lap, moaning at her taste on his tongue as his hands moved to kneed her ass. She grinned against his mouth as her she circled her hips.

"Fuck, Felicity," he moaned against her lips, as she kept moving her hips against his, her juices soaking through his suit pants. "If you keep that up I'm going to come in my pants. Again," he said against her lips, his hands trailing up her back.

"And we wouldn't want that, would we?" she asked, nibbling on his lips, while she worked on his zipper pants, freeing his erection from its confines.

Felicity took him in her hands. He was hard, aching for her, the tip covered with precum. Her thumb circled the tip, moving the moisture down his shaft. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he groaned her name. She pumped him a few times, until he was hot and heavy in her hand.

"I want to feel you coming inside of me," she murmured against his lips, knowing what the words would do to him. She suddenly came up with a better idea, "Help me up."

"What the…" he said, confused at the loss of her body heat but following her instructions. She surprised him once more by turning her back to him and leaning forward across the desk; her glorious ass up in the air, taunting him. Her skin was flushed from where he had gripped her ass, her long blonde hair falling down her back and over one shoulder. She was a vision.

Felicity looked over shoulder, a wicked smile forming on her lips when she saw that his mouth was open, "I have been waiting for you, Mr. Queen."

"Jesus," he moaned, closing his eyes at the sight, "You know what you're doing to me."

"I know you've been watching me in the foundry. Especially when I was working on the wires in the back," she teased. She'd caught his eyes on her when she would bend down to grab something or the other.

Oliver moved slowly, watching her with heated eyes, as she bit her lower lip. Standing from his chair he pulled his shirt and pants off until he was completely naked. He looked like he was about to pounce.

His hands came down on her warm skin; his finger running down her spine and to the faintest echo of dimples on her lower back. She was holding tightly onto the edge of the desk, her toes curling into the carpet at the tender touch. He leaned into her heated skin, kissing one of the dimples.

"God, you are so beautiful," he whispered, moving up to kiss the top of her shoulder, his hands moving down her hips and then up again to her breasts. He softly moved his hands against her mounds, making her push her naked behind against his front.

"Oliver," Felicity moaned, her right hand moving on top of his, as he pinched her nipples. She pressed back against him again, pressing his hard cock against her, "Please."

"Do you want me?" he asked her, his lips dancing against her industrial piercing. He hissed in pleasure when his cock fell inline between her legs. He moved his hips forward and slid under her center, coating his cock in her slick.

"Yes," she groaned, closing her eyes and loving the way Oliver danced over her skin; the heat of his body pressed against her back.

"How much do you want me?" he asked, moving one of his hands down to the apex of her thighs, the other falling to her hip and guiding her to give him a small thrust back.

The tip of his cock slid over clit and she ground down, "Like I've never wanted anyone before"

"Good answer," he murmured on her ear, before angling his hips back and thrusting inside of her in one long thrust. Felicity keened, arms trembling were she lay as he held himself inside of her.

Pulling back Oliver didn't waste in thrusting back into her, the move jarring and making her groan, body relaxing down onto the desk. Oliver began pounding into her. He held tight onto her hips, pressing her down onto the table as he moved in quick and hard strokes. He was too worked up from their little game of foreplay; he just wanted to feel her come undone in his arms. He needed her too much.

He kept a furious rhythm, pushing deep inside of her, feeling her clenching around him with every movement. He looked down to where their bodies were joined, enjoying the sight of his hard cock moving inside and out of her hot center, while she moaned his name, begging for more.

"Felicity! Fuck," he groaned, closing his eyes, trying to hold back as long as he could.

"More! Harder!" she moaned, fingers holding the edge of the table, using it as leverage to thrust back and meet him halfway. She wanted to come with him inside of her.

"If you keep this up I won't be able to hold it," he grunted through clenched teeth, each word punctuated by a thrust.

"Then don't. Don't hold it. I need to feel you coming inside of me," Felicity said between moans, their bodies covered in sweat, as she closed her eyes in pleasure.

Oliver changed the angle of his hips, plastering his body against her. He held tight onto her, as he pistoned into her, until he felt the familiar feeling of her walls closing around him. Slipping his hand between her legs he found her clit; timing his thrusts with his fingers. "Felicity, I need you to come with me. Please," he begged, trying to hold back as long as he could. He wanted them to reach the kind of bliss, where your knees shook and your skin flushed with heat, together.

"Yes, just a little bit longer," she groaned against the desk, pushing against him, as he hit that special spot inside of her. She could feel a resonating heat and spark forming inside of her starting from low in her belly and spreading out to her legs and arms. "Oliver, don't stop," she moaned, feeling her orgasm approaching.

Oliver kept moving, pushing deeper and faster, until he felt her clenching around him as she called his name. "Fuck, yes," he groaned, his thrusts becoming short before he spilled inside of her. He dragged him mouth to the skin at the back of her neck and nipped at it as they tried to catch their breath together.

They stood unmoving for a few seconds, just enjoying the feel of each other's skin, letting their heartbeats go back to normal. Oliver was the first to move, gently pulling out of Felicity, as she groaned at the feeling of emptiness he left behind.

"I'll be back," he said, kissing the top of her shoulder and moving towards the private bathroom that was connected with his office.

Felicity lifted up a hand in an abortive wave, "It's not like I can move." She felt lax and hazy from coming twice.

He came back with a small hand towel. He smirked as Felicity propped up her upper half but didn't move off of his desk. He used the towel to clean her and the mess they'd made, "I guess I did rock your world."

"Show off," she said with a laugh, as he finished cleaning both of them and throwing the towel away.

"Come here," he said, sitting down on the large chair and pulling her to sit against him on his lap. Her back to his front, "You know I'm never going to look at this desk the same?"

"You're lucky that I love you so much," she teased right back, turning her head and meeting him in a languid kiss. Her body relaxed even more when his arms wrapped around her, holding her in place.

"I'm the luckiest guy in the planet for having you," he confided when they pulled apart, kissing the side of her head when she rested her head on his shoulder, "To love you, and to have you love me back is the greatest thing that's happened in my life."

"Look at you," she teased lightly, her eyes falling closed in exhaustion, "Are you always this much a romantic after sex?"

He nuzzled her cheek, "Only for you. Only for you"

* * *

Detective Quentin Lance wasn´t the kind of men that panicked easily. He had been a police officer his entire life and there wasn´t much that could bring him down. Except his daughters of course.

"Sara, baby," Detective Lance said, moving to hug Sara. "What the hell is going on? Your message terrified me."

"Daddy, I'm ok," Sara said hugging her father. "The emergency isn't about me."

They pulled back from each other and Quentin placed his hands on his daughter's arms. Sara had called him yesterday asking for his help. She had been vague and hadn't given him a lot of information. He had been scared and was glad that she was ok, "What are you talking about?"

"My friend needs your help," Sara said, and with a look behind her, Felicity slid out from a booth near by. She met them halfway, "This is my friend, Felicity Smoak."

"Oliver Queen's mysterious girlfriend?" Lance asked her, eyebrow raised. He shook Felicity's hand when she held it out.

"That's not exactly how I would like people to recognize me. I mean, I'm my own person beside the man I'm dating. Not that he's not a good man. He's a great man. But I want to know by me. Felicity Smoak. Not his girlfriend," Felicity rambled, making Detective Lance smile in amusement.

"And that is Felicity," Sara said with a smile, making Felicity blushed.

"Let's sit Ms. Smoak," Lance said, holding his arm out and signalling for them to sit in the booth Felicity had just vacated it.

"I'm sorry, Detective. I tend to ramble a lot when I'm nervous," Felicity said,

moving her sweaty hands down her jeans, while Lance looked at her with curiosity. Everything was going according to plan. Quentin thought she was the nervous and talkative other half of Oliver that had come to a trusted friend for help.

"And why is that you're nervous?" Quentin asked.

"Dad! She's not the bad guy here. This is not an interrogation," Sara reprimanded, catching on immediately to what her dad was doing.

"My apologies, Ms. Smoak," Lance said, as a waiter came and poured each one of them a cup of coffee and promised to return in a few for orders, "So, how can I help you today Ms. Smoak?"

Felicity looked at Sara, who put a reassuring hand on hers. "It's ok, Felicity. My dad can help you," Sara said reassuringly.

Felicity placed her hands flat on the table and tried to look like she was holding back fidgeting. Half of it was her acting. The other was just her. What they were doing was big and she was lucky she had convinced Oliver that she didn't need an ear piece with him guiding her, "I…I think that I found some information that can help you, Detective."

"Help me?" he asked curiously, "What kind of information?"

Felicity tugged a bag that she had against her side onto her lap, "Information regarding the shipping bust that happened two weeks ago. I think I found a link to something connected to it."

That peeked Quentin's interest and he was no longer looking at this as Queen's girlfriend coming to him to report her boyfriend, "A link to my investigation? How?"

"I've…been recently hired by Queen Consolidated. I did some consulting work for them previously, but now I'm responsible for some projects in their Advanced Science department," Felicity began.

Quentin steeped his fingers together and leaned forward, "And what does QC have to do with that bust?"

"I found some...things pertaining to some software that we designed for a company a few months ago. The designs were for a biotech company. This company belongs to the Amex BioResearcher group."

"Ms. Smoak, I don't know how that has anything to do with the bust."

Felicity scooted a little forward, leaning toward Quentin so there would be no chance of being overheard, "Well you see, the software that we developed for Amex was a 3D printer. And from what I've discovered the files about the design of this specific 3D printer, that we helped them develop, was the focus of a cyber attack. Someone tried to wipe their existence from our servers. It sent a signal to me that our system had been breached and I followed their trail. I found that the hackers were working for the Amex group."

Quentin nodded, following along, "So what? The company didn't want you to have those designs. I'm sure this is a matter for someone else besides the cops. Sounds internal. Something that Mr. Queen should be dealing with?"

"I already spoke with him," Felicity said, surprising Quentin, "This led me to speak with Sara and then you. Someone trusted. We both thought it would be better if I came and spoke to you instead of him. I don't think Amex wanted anyone to know about those designs. Not now that the FBI is investigating why a hundred men, women and children were locked up inside those containers coming in from China."

"What exactly are you trying to say, Ms. Smoak?" Quentin asked, feeling his blood turn cold.

"Off the record," she requested, looking to Sara for reassurance, "I may or may not have done something illegal to find this out."

"Sure. Off the record," Quentin said quickly. Felicity knew things. And if she had already spoken to Queen then this was big. Monumental.

Felicity relaxed at his assurance and took a deep breath before explaining what they were really here for, "The design for that printer is something that I've never seen before. It was a project worth billion of dollars for both companies. They invested a lot of money to make sure they could create artificial human organs, that would be totally functional and without risk of rejection in the human body. Do you know what that means? You wouldn't have to wait years for an organ donation. This could change the face of medicine."

"That doesn't sound bad to me," Lance said with a shrug, sipping his coffee but watching her intently.

"For a project like that to reach clinical trials with humans it would take years government red tape and millions of dollars in tests. And I think that someone wasn't in the mood to wait years to make millions with the sale of those artificial organs. The FDA wouldn't allow a clinical trial so soon. So I think they decided to do things another way. I think...the people that you rescued in your bust, were going to be the first test subjects for these artificial organs."

"Those are some pretty serious allegations, Ms. Smoak," Quentin said, shock clear on his face, "I do hope you have proof about all this."

"I found a money trail that connected the Amex group with the Lao Global and

Logistics Company," Felicity said, tapping her pointer finger on the desk with every sentence. They had talked about how this was the real hook that they needed, "I found out that the Lao group owns the harbour where that ship sailed from China. And I think….I think that the Amex group hired someone to be a bridge between the transport and the acquisition of those people. Mr. Lance, I think the Triad are responsible for taking those people against their will. They are responsible for bringing them to Starling City and selling them like cattle."

Quentin set his cup of coffee down, the word 'Triad' setting him on edge like they wanted, "You found that? How?"

"I'm pretty good with a computer, Detective," Felicity said, pushing her glasses up her nose, "But I don't want to get in trouble for this. The FBI is not a big fan of people that can do what I do."

"I see. So you are a hacker?"

"I wouldn't go that far," Felicity said with a small yet still spooked looking smile, "I just hate mysteries."

"And why is not Queen with you in here? Unless he knew about this scheme?"

"No! Oliver would never do something like that," Felicity hissed, trying to control the tone of her voice. The fire in her eyes wasn't for show.

"Are you sure about this? Or are your feelings for your boyfriend clouding your judgment?" Quentin sceptically asked. This girl had woven a grand tale. He needed to be double...no triple sure that this was legit.

"Dad!" Sara warned, irritated that her father always tried to find a way to demon Oliver. Even after what he had done to help Sara.

Felicity patted Sara's hand. She had this, "Oliver may have his faults. But he is a good man. He wouldn't be involved in something like this. I assure you that he has nothing to do with this. His company is the only thing he has left of his family. It would destroy him to see it ruined."

They held each other's stare for a couple beats. Both knew that there was more to Oliver's story. But for the moment she was asking him to forget about that and focus on something more important.

"Fine, Ms. Smoak," Quentin said, finally giving in. "If you believe that Oliver Queen is not involved, I won't ask again. But I do wonder how well you do know your boyfriend?"

Felicity's eyes hardened, "I know him better than most people. That's why I know he wouldn't be capable of something like this. I know you don't know me, and you have no reason to trust me, but trust your daughter. Trust Sara."

"Dad, please. Trust me. Let it be," Sara said, pulling her hands across the table to take her father's, "Do it for me."

"Fine, I will let it go," Lance said, not moving his hands away, "But tell me, Ms. Smoak, what exactly do you want me to do with this intel? You say you didn't obtain it by the most legal avenues. It can't be used in court."

"I know that. But you can help them look into the right places."

"That simple?"

"It's that simple, Detective. Those people were going to die just so some big company could gain billions of dollars selling organs to the rich of this country," Felicity said, not hiding her disgust, "They don't care who they hurt in the process. They need to be stopped."

Lance let go a tired sigh, running a hand over his dark beard, as he stared at Sara and Felicity.

"Couldn't you have a friend that needed help with someone stalking her?" he asked Sara, making both women laugh, "No, you ended up having a genius friend that discovers a conspiracy involving billion dollar companies and the Chinese mob."

"You know me, daddy. I do like hanging out with the cool kids," Sara teased with a quirk of her lips, making Lance smile.

"Yeah," he said, as they all took a moment to sip their coffees; Felicity and Sara's coffee significantly colder since they hadn't touched it once, "Ok, Ms. Smoak. We will do things your way this time."

"Thank you, Detective," she said, letting go of a breathe that she'd been holding. Quentin had agreed. This was good. Her grip loosened on her bag.

"Do you have anything for me to get started with? To get these wheels turning?"

"I think this might help you out," Felicity said, removing a small black and purple flash drive from inside her bag and handing it to him, "It will set you and whatever is helping in this investigation, on the right track."

"Ok," Lance said, reaching over to take the flash drive. Felicity held onto it.

"But please Detective Lance, remember that you can't connect this information to me in any way or to QC. Not only it could cost me my job at QC and thousands of jobs for residents of Starling City; this could cost my freedom," she begged, knowing that she'd hit a spot when she mentioned the thousands that Queen Consolidated employed.

"I promise you this will never leave this table. It will not be connected to you or QC."

"And Oliver?"

"Him neither."

"Thank you," Felicity said, letting the drive go and watching as he put the flash drive inside his jacket inner pocket.

"I told you Felicity. My dad will work this out," Sara said, looking at her father with pride, "He will put the right people in jail. He'll do this."

"Now, can you two please stay out of this?" Lance said, as he drained his cup and put a twenty-dollar bill on the table before getting up to his feet. He gave them both a pointed look, "I'd rather my daughter didn't mess with the mob."

"I promise you I'll stay safe, daddy," Sara said, moving to kiss him in the cheek before sitting back down, "We just wanted to help you."

Quentin looked at Felicity and she nodded, "We'll be safe. Promise. Thank you Detective Lance."

"Call me Quentin. Might as well get used to it because I'm pretty sure I'm going to be seeing more of you," Quentin admitted with a shake of his head. He rapped his knuckles across the table as he looked at both of them, "Sara Lance and Felicity Smoak. Trying to save the world."

"What can I say? If we don't, who will?" Felicity said with a small shrug.

"I'll call you later baby," he directed at Sara. He patted his jacket, "Looks like I've got work to do."

* * *

Donna Smoak sighed as she peered out the large windows of the restaurant she worked at as a front desk hostess. She watched as another couple left the restaurant and merged with the late night crowd of the Las Vegas; seemingly enjoying the end of the night. It was around closing time and she sat down on the stool next to her area at the reception, patiently waiting for the minutes to pass. If she were lucky no one else would come this late.

It had been a long week, but she was pleased to know that so many people enjoyed The Florence, the small Italian bistro she had been working at for the past two years, despite it being an off peak time. The last few customers were already having their coffees and deserts, and the kitchen was near closing and she knew that no one else would probably come in.

She moved her hand down her neck, softly rubbing the sore muscles, dying to just go home and have a hot shower. She was exhausted, her feet were killing her from her heels, and she couldn't stop thinking about the comfy bed that was waiting for her in her small apartment. But there still had another ten minutes for the restaurant to close, and another hour before she could actually leave, so she sat down on the stool and tried to find the strength to keep going.

Looking down at her purse, in a small cubby behind reception, she spied the multiple magazines that she had yet to read from her earlier stop at a newsstand. They were the last guilty pleasure that she had from her old life; one that couldn't cause her any harm.

Donna knew that it was stupid to want to read those magazines. She was sure that she could find better things to spend her time doing than reading about celebrities and millionaires across the country but she couldn't help herself. It was as if reading those magazines let her forget all the mistakes she'd made in her life. All the things she'd wished she could undo but knew that she couldn't. All the things that haunted her.

Another couple passed by her and she waved by to them.

Looking over to where the last two couples were sitting inside the restaurant, she saw that no one seemed to be looking at her. Slowly she pulled a tabloid up and hid it behind the counter. She scanned the news, skimming news over the sex of the second British royal baby to the possible engagement of a young celebrity couple at the centre of some vampire movie franchise. She kept reading and taking small breaks to see if any of the customers needed her assistance, but they were all to engrossed in their own little worlds, and didn't need her in these last couple of minutes. So she kept reading about the famous and sometimes scandalous lives of the rich and famous.

She was about to jump straight from a story about a charity benefit to a Children's Hospital in California when she stopped dead in her tracks. There was a picture of a beautiful couple posing together. The man, dressed in an expensive tuxedo, and the woman in a green couture gown. The couple smiled in the picture, and Donna recognized the name of the man – Oliver Queen – from reading about his family's death in a car accident twenty years ago. But the young CEO billionaire wasn't what made her take pause and stare at the picture. No, it was the young blond woman next to him. It was the familiar pair of blue eyes that stared back at her. The small uptick at the corners of her mouth. The face she'd never thought she would ever see again. Her daughter. Her Felicity.

"Oh God," Donna whispered, covering her mouth with her hand as tears pooled in her eyes.

It was her baby. She looked so different, a cry from the dark haired Goth, 17 year old she remembered. But it was Felicity. Behind the makeup, the fancy new hairstyle &amp; color, the expensive clothes and jewelry, she could see her daughter. She looked as beautiful as the last time she had seen her.

Her baby girl.

She had turned into a woman. She had walked away from Las Vegas and from her, and she had done exactly what she'd promised she would. She had turned her life around. It had been seven years since the last time Donna had seen her daughter. And there wasn't a day that she didn't regret not going after her daughter when she left to M.I.T. But she had been too proud back then. To hurt and consumed by her own failures.

She knew she had failed her daughter; she knew this now. And she also knew that maybe things would never be the same; that maybe she would never be able to repair the damage that she had done. She'd thought she had lost her chance for the longest time. But looking down at the photo of her all grown up…it was heart stopping.

Donna couldn't stop the smile forming on her lips as she traced the photo with her fingertips.

Life was giving her a second chance. A chance to right her wrongs.

She wouldn't let it go to waste.

* * *

**A/N: *GASP* Mama Smoak?! ****Thank you again for joining us this week and reading! Until next time dears! **

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**Love, **

**PoisonAngelMuse &amp; TheAlternativeSource**


	16. The Scientist

**The Crow Chapter 16 – The Scientist**

**Disclaimer:** We own nothing but our plot and our own characters. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to DC Comics and CW Television. All rights over this idea and its concepts belong to us. This work is intended for the private enjoyment of the reader and is not to be shared on any other sites (besides AO3 and FF) or events without our express permission.

* * *

**A/N: Hi everyone! Despite all the shit that happened yesterday we are pushing forward and doing this chapter! So join us all on AO3 or FF and celebrate fanfiction despite those shady ass*****!**

**Also…this was a really hard chapter for me, The Alternative Source. I'm sending you all big hugs in response. I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

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**Link for The Crow Soundtrack - /lyra-aureus/the-crow-official-soundtrack**

**Enjoy!**

**Music – The Scientist by Coldplay**

* * *

_Come up to meet you  
Tell you I'm sorry  
You don't know how lovely you are  
I had to find you  
Tell you I need you  
Tell you I set you apart_

_Tell me your secrets  
And ask me your questions  
Oh let's go back to the start  
Running in circles; coming up tails  
Heads on a science apart_

_Nobody said it was easy  
It's such a shame for us to part  
Nobody said it was easy  
No one ever said it would be this hard  
Oh take me back to the start_

_I was just guessing at numbers and figures  
Pulling your puzzles apart  
Questions of science; science and progress  
Do not speak as loud as my heart_

_Tell me you love me  
Come back and haunt me  
Oh and I rush to the start  
Running in circles, chasing our tails  
Coming back as we are_

_Nobody said it was easy  
Oh it's such a shame for us to part  
Nobody said it was easy  
No one ever said it would be so hard  
I'm going back to the start_

Donna Smoak never had an easy life. She was the single daughter of a working classes couple and she saw how her parents struggled with life. But she had ambitions. A desire to leave Las Vegas as soon as she could. She thought that enrolling at the University of Las Vegas at the age 18 would make those desires, wishes and dreams come true. It didn't.

She was 19 years old when Cole Daniels came into her life. He had transferred to ULV to major in engineering, after almost been expelled from Columbia University. Cole was different from anyone she had ever met. He was a genius, with a sarcastic mouth and the most gorgeous pair of green eyes she had ever seen. He had the tall, dark and dangerous style that worked for him and apparently that worked for Donna. To her it was love at first sight. Unfortunately, for him it was lust.

Cole was enamored with the 'blonde goddess' and charming spirit that Donna was. But he saw their relationship as nothing more than a fling. Something for him to distract himself before he could get the hell out of Las Vegas and back to New York where he said he belonged. Six months of dating and Donna not knowing it was just a fling, eventually led to Donna finding out that she was pregnant. She finally found out the truth of their status when he bolted for New York without a look back.

His departure broke something inside of Donna, who truly believed he was her happy ending.

After that, her parent's weren't supportive of her when she decided to keep the baby. They had worked hard to put Donna through college, and they didn't think it was the right time for a baby. Especially a baby from a man that didn't even bother to tell their daughter goodbye. They never asked her to terminate the pregnancy, but they did expect her to put the baby up for adoption because they perceived it to be the best thing for their daughter and grandchild. But Donna didn't want to give up on her baby girl. No, it was the only thing she had left of Cole and she couldn't let her go.

Older now she realized she might have kept her for the wrong reasons but…she kept her nonetheless.

She loved Felicity. Her daughter was a part of her and a part of Cole, and even though she would never forgive him for leaving the both of them, she also couldn't hate him. He had given her their bright and smiling little girl.

Donna was abandoned by her family soon after Felicity's birth. Her parents did not agree with her decision at all and as punishment wanted her to understand the consequences of the choice she was making, and that her life as a single parent wouldn't be easy. So they stepped back, while their only child struggled with life.

So Donna had to learn to deal with the weight of her choices. Donna pushed forward.

The first sacrifice that she had to make was giving up on college and finding a way to support both of them. At the time, she worked part time as a waitress in a small diner next to the one bedroom apartment they lived in. It wasn't much, but it was enough for both of them to survive. Donna kept saying to herself that she would go back and finish her major as soon as she got a better job so she could hire someone to look after Felicity, but as the months passed by, her dream floated further and further from her.

As things became harder her parents finally reappeared to help her out. They would give her what little money they had left if Felicity needed to go to the doctor or needed food and sometimes they even watched over Felicity when Donna would get a double shift for some extra money. But it was never enough.

Felicity was two years old when Donna realized that she would never be able to get back to where she was before in her life. Cole wouldn't come back and magically fix all of their problems. He wouldn't come back saying he loved her and he wanted to be in both her and Felicity's lives.

As the years passed by things got harder. She had a small child to raise, endless bills to pay and after her mother passed away, Donna's father lost himself in his own grief. She moved from job to job, until she finally landed a steady job as a cocktail waitress at a casino. While it was the furthest thing from what she once dreamt of doing in life, she took it, as it was good money for her and her daughter. But the endless hours of work, the pressure of being a single parent, the frustration of feeling like a failure made Donna look for comfort in the wrong places.

After Cole she never seemed to think she was good enough. Feeling rejected by the man she thought was the love of her life left scars that would never heal. So each scrap of love that she received, she took it in greedily; feasting on it until there was nothing but ashes left behind. She knew it was wrong of her, to lose herself in so many men, to let them rule her life. But she couldn't help it. Her younger self was wounded and overcompensated to try to fix what she felt was broken about her.

She knew now, after losing Felicity, that she had been oh so wrong.

She lost so much back then. With each new relationship that she dived in, she ended up putting her daughter in second place and pushing them apart. She missed a lot of milestones in Felicity's life. Sure she caught glimpses of her daughter growing, of her baby turning into a young woman, but she wasn't ever really there. At the time she thought it was enough to pay the bills, make sure she stayed in school and that she was a good kid. Donna believed she was doing the right thing when in all reality she was choosing those men first and putting Felicity's needs second.

By the time that Felicity had turned into a teenager she couldn't even pinpoint where she had gone wrong with her beautiful little girl. There was a wedge between them that they couldn't seem to reach across. And in many cases she believed that Felicity didn't want to reach across to her anymore. Felicity had become enamoured with the neighbours and had grown to love spending hours reading, working on her electronic devices, and becoming the opposite of the bubbly and bright spot Donna seemed to permeate. She felt inadequate. Inferior. They became oil and water, clashing, fighting and pulling away from each other.

So Donna had thrown herself into her work at the casino and her relationships, trying to fill a void inside of her that only seemed to deepen.

She kept looking for comfort in the arms of those men, hoping that one of them would make it all better. That one of them would love her and Felicity. That one of them would bring them together. That one of those men would give her all the things that Cole took from her. A family. A future.

Donna knew her inability to stay alone and her lack of focus on her daughter was the eventual cause for Felicity running away from her and never coming back. Her daughter's intelligence and ambitions would take her far away from Las Vegas and from the life she hated. Donna had always been frightened of the day that her little girl would walk out and leave her like everyone else had done. And when she did she felt like she couldn't breathe. So she fought against it with all her power no matter how useless it was. Felicity was gone. And she would never come back. Just like her father.

Looking down at the magazine in her lap, Donna softly caressed the page, looking down at the picture of Felicity along with Oliver Queen. It took her so long to get past the resentment she felt for being left alone; for Felicity following her dreams at MIT. For so long she didn't realize that Felicity was tougher and smarter than she had ever been. That her baby girl was a fighter like her, but unlike her, was willing to move on and live her life. And this photo was proof of it. Donna wondered how her daughter and the billionaire CEO of Queen Consolidated had gotten together. She wondered if they were serious. If the most famous bachelor of Starling City actually cared about her baby girl or if he was just using her. But most importantly she wondered if Felicity was happy.

All she wanted was for her to be happy.

Looking out of the window of the bus, she stared at the dark night, wondering if she was doing the right thing. She hadn't seen or talked to her daughter for the past seven years. She hadn't called or wrote when Felicity went off to MIT. She hadn't followed her when she didn't return. And because of her pride, because of the way she had acted all those years ago, because of her own insecurities, she had lost the one she most loved.

But things were different now. She had pulled herself up and out of the hole she had made for herself and this was her opportunity to get her daughter back. She had even taken the steps to get a therapist and work past her issues and gain the courage to go back to school. She could do this. Her daughter was first. She should have been from the beginning and if Felicity allowed her she would show her that she was serious about a second chance. To make things right between them.

And that is why she had been on a bus for the past nine hours. She had rushed home as soon as she could, packed a bag and purchased a ticket to Starling City. She didn't think about anything else, not about where she would go or where she would stay. She didn't think about her job, nor about missing her night classes. All she could think about was finding her little girl.

Donna knew that she was being reckless. She had acted on an impulse, and her therapist would disapprove for sure after so much progress, but it was the first time she'd seen her daughter in years. She had to do it. So she sat in that bus for nine hours emailing her teachers and messaging her boss, telling everyone that she had a family emergency of sorts that needed her immediate attention, and freaking out over what she would say to her or if she even wanted to see her.

Felicity probably wouldn't appreciate her mother coming out of nowhere. It was probably the last thing she wanted to deal with right now. But Donna needed to see her.

She needed to apologize.

She needed to make things right.

She needed to try.

* * *

Walter smiled as Oliver went over the next few projects that Queen Consolidated was about to develop. When he really got into it he had many ideas for the future of QC and his enthusiasm was contagious. Oliver, just like his father Robert Queen, had the same passion and brilliance for the business world.

Walter still remembered when Robert asked him to join as CFO of Queen Consolidated. The company was still brand spanking new when he asked Walter to join on. He wanted to have good people by him. And with Robert's innovating growing ideas and the guts to get out there, they did quite well. It only took him five years to make QC a shining beacon that was catching the attention of the other companies in Starling City at a time when they were bigger than QC. Robert put his heart and soul into the company, and now it was his legacy.

A legacy that Oliver now had inherited.

When Robert had tragically passed away along with his wife and daughter, Walter had taken the responsibility of making sure that QC would survive. He promised himself that he would do his for Robert, but above all, for the young Oliver Queen that in one single night had lost everything he held dear. He promised himself that he would do everything in his power to protect the company and Robert's legacy until the last Queen's return.

Now, more than twenty years later, he knew he had kept his promise. He had handed over the reins to Oliver and after many years Walter was ready to move on.

Not that it wouldn't be easy to leave, far from it. It had been a difficult decision for him to make, one that he spent many sleepless nights thinking over, especially now that his daughter would be moving to England. He wanted to keep his family close together, but at the same time, he didn't want Oliver to think he was abandoning him.

The plans to take over a project in London in the Queen name came as a relief.

Walter never wanted to leave Queen Consolidated. He planned to spend the rest of his life helping Oliver with it. And soon he would do it from London instead of Starling City. He knew that Oliver was more than able to lead QC down a new path, to achieve new goals, to make it even more successful. Oliver had what it took to keep his family's company a success. To make sure that the Queen name would be honored.

Ever since the announcement Oliver tried to keep a brave face and act like it was ok. But Walter knew that somehow Oliver still felt insecure about it. And no matter how capable Walter knew Oliver was, it was also hard for him to part ways from the young man that he considered almost like a son. Robert had been his best friend and in many ways, Walter felt responsible for Oliver. It was the reason that Walter had mentored Oliver when he had returned. It was the reason for his hesitance for leaving. And it was the reason for him spending as much time as he could with the man he couldn't be more proud of.

"Walter, are you even listening to me?" Oliver asked him with a small laugh, as the older man smiled over at him.

"Of course I am, Oliver. I was just thinking that this will be the last time we will go over those projects together," Walter said, patting the documents separating them at the conference room table.

"I know," Oliver said, his happiness dampening as he looked down at the papers in front of him. With every day that passed, one of his closest connections to his past, moved closer to leaving.

"Oliver, I know this transition is not exactly ideal, especially in these troubling times with the whole Triad thing by the docks and all sorts of people coming into Starling City," Walter said, lacing his fingers on the glass table, "Maybe we should wait a few weeks for me to go to the London branch."

Oliver looked up at that, shaking his head, "No, Walter. You can't do that. Your family will already be there. And we need you there to run our offices in Europe. This merger, which has turned out bigger than expected, is vital for us to get into clean energy field."

"I'm well aware, Oliver. But considering how unstable things had been in the city…"

"QC will survive no matter what happens. You worked your entire life to make sure it would happen. You don't have to worry, Walter," Oliver said, reassuring his mentor. He wanted the man to stay but he wanted what was best for him as well.

"I know you're more than capable of running QC. You've done it for the past five years. It's because of you and your ideas that the company has come so far in the past couple of months alone."

If it were possible, Oliver would have blushed at the pride in Walters's voice, "I'm not so sure I'm the only reason behind it. We do make a great team."

"That we do," Walter agreed, looking over at the large windows set to the left of them, "I'll miss this place."

"You can come back any time you want," Oliver offered, "You know that."

Walter shook his head and looked back at Oliver, "As much as I enjoy working by your side as the CFO, it's time for me to move on. Besides, Carrie Cutter will be an excellent addition to QC to replace me. It will be good to have some fresh blood around here."

"It'll be strange seeing another person in your office," Oliver said with a sad smile, "Even this conference room. This entire floor, even."

Walter took a couple seconds before speaking. "Oliver, I've watched you turn into a man that your parents would have been proud of. I watched as you poured yourself into this company; making sure that QC would survive the economy, making sure that your father's legacy wouldn't disappear. But most of all, I've watched you become an honorable man, someone that I'm very proud to call my friend," Walter said emotion clear in his voice.

"Thank you, Walter," Oliver whispered, happy to know that someone was proud of him but also sad that the man who should be here was gone. Walter had no idea how many times he had imagined what his life would be like if his family hadn't been murdered. If he wasn't forced into becoming something else entirely different that let the darkness inside; The Crow. He cleared his throat and moved some of his documents around and looking busy, "If only he was here to see you say that."

Walter followed his lead and messed with his folders as well, "I can't stop thinking of that as well."

"He would be proud of you, Oliver. Just like I am," Walter said, reaching over and patting Oliver on the shoulder in a comforting yet understanding way.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to thank you enough for everything you've done for me Walter. For my family's company. Everything you've taught me," Oliver said, thinking about the kind of man he was because Walter helped him. The kind of man that could make his family and the woman he loved proud despite the darkness running inside him.

"All you can do for me is make sure that you will take care of QC," Walter replied with a large smile, his tone tipping and turning comical, "But most of all, I do hope you will be happy. With a certain blonde."

"Stop talking like you're about to leave the company! You'll only be on the other side of the Atlantic," Oliver teased with a huff, "And yes, I'm happy. Happier than I've been in a long time."

"That's all that I can ask you," Walter said as Oliver smiled at him, "Speaking of this 'happiness', how is Ms. Smoak? I heard she's about to start next week."

"Yes, she's quite excited to start. She had some ideas for some new software already. The people in the Applied Science Division won't know what hit them," he said, making both of the them laugh.

"I'm glad to see you're this happy. To know that you have someone in your life."

"Yes," he answered wistfully, Felicity's face coming to mind, "I never expected to meet someone like her. Someone that makes…everything seem worth fighting for."

"Someone you love," Walter said softly.

"Yes, someone that I love," Oliver said, his eyes reflecting the love he felt for Felicity.

"It's a delight to see that. I do admit that Ms. Smoak is quiet charming. She is one of a kind."

"That she is," Oliver said, remembering how Felicity had babbled this morning about some new things she wanted to do when she started working in the department while brushing her hair and eating a piece of toast. She was odd as much as she was beautiful in the mornings before work, "She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"And no one deserves this more than you, Oliver. After everything you've been through in your life, you deserve to be happy. To be truly happy. And nothing makes me happier than seeing that specific look on your face when you think of Ms. Smoak. I know that she will take good care of you," Walter said with fatherly affection.

"Thank you, Walter," Oliver replied, the words held close to his chest, as he locked away all these words and assurances for a rainy day. Walter was after all the closest thing he had to a father, he had mentored him into the business world and he had been the most positive influence on his life after he left Russia. If it hadn't been for Walter's support, maybe there wouldn't be any Oliver Queen left, only The Crow.

Walter placed his hand once more on Oliver's shoulder and caught his eyes. Both would miss comfortable gestures such as this, "Just remember, I will always be here for you. No matter what ocean's part us I'm always a phone call away."

* * *

Not all days were bad in the office, contrary to popular belief. Some days were good. He would wake up wrapped around Felicity, his head tucked in behind hers and legs tangled together. It would be sweet, loving and caring waking up with her, getting ready with her and separating his day from her. Some days he came into work and the good feeling that had started his day continued. Every piece of paperwork was on point and even the Bratva seemed to be ok, following his instructions to the 't'.

Today happened to be one of those days.

After his earlier meeting with Walter this morning, Oliver had met up with John at his office to continue the tedious job of looking through paperwork. This time around they were doing a quarterly look over their most important accounts. They had been doing this together for years and there was no one that he trusted more to do this with him.

It was nearing lunchtime when Oliver asked, "So when is Felicity arriving?"

John peered down at the watch on his wrist, "I'd say about 15 minutes. Anxious?"

"Maybe a little," Oliver said with a small grin as he signed off another paper. He liked when Felicity came to see him at work. He loved that it had become a routine and John knew it. John handed him another folder and the smile on his face slipped a bit as he looked at the new accounts that Anatoly had asked him to work with most recently. It brought up the thoughts that had been plaguing him for days; specifically when he looked at Felicity. Leaning back in his chair he sighed. He wasn't going to finish this if he didn't get what he'd wanted to talk about off his chest. He began again hesitantly, "I need to talk to you about something."

Diggle put down his pen and gave Oliver his full attention, "What is it?"

Oliver placed his hands on the table to stop their nervous twitching, "Remember a bit ago you brought up a life outside..."

"Of the Bratva?" Diggle finished when Oliver didn't continue.

"Yes."

Diggle could have said, 'I remember how stubborn you were about it' but he held his tongue. It was a huge step for Oliver to even bring this up again. He had to tread carefully, "What about it?"

Oliver saw Diggle and the hesitance he took in speaking. Good. They both knew how monumental this was, "How would it work?"

"How would what work?" Diggle said, trying to guide the conversation out of Oliver.

"A life outside. How would I work? How would you? Sara? Roy?"

Diggle sighed softly, "We'll work like we always do. We're a family. If...we ever lead a life outside of the Bratva we would still do this together."

It's like Diggle took the words right out of his mouth. For the last couple of days his mind had weighed more on the thought of being with Felicity. Being with her in a life where the Bratva wasn't the central focus, where it was he and Felicity building something close to what his family wished for him to have, a home. And with that wonder came the thought of whether Diggle, Sara and Roy would follow his lead.

"You would do that," Oliver stated, the words small.

Diggle didn't even hesitate, "We've got your back Oliver. No questions asked." The room was silent for couple seconds, both men processing the words. More words were left unspoken.

'I'm proud of you' being the main one. Oliver felt relief flow through him and he cleared his throat, "Good to know."

Diggle inclined his head in agreement.

They were interrupted by a tiny knock at the door.

"Come in," Oliver called out. He watched as Felicity entered the office, looking as fresh and lovely as ever. He'd thought that he had been having a good day. But it was nothing compared to having her here. Now he was having a great day.

By the time she entered the office and closed the door behind her, Oliver was right in front of her, hands on her hips. He smiled, knowing that Felicity felt the fondness and love in it, "Hi."

She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his chest, grabbing the lapels and returning his smile, "Hi."

"How was your day?"

"Good," he answered honestly.

"Better that I'm here now?" Felicity asked, tongue in cheek.

"Yeah. Much better," Oliver laughed before cupping the back of her neck and kissing her. Her mouth was warm and pliant underneath his. They'd missed each other, the small hours they'd been apart.

There was an obviously fake coughing coming from behind them, "I'm having a good day too. Watching all this."

They separated and turned towards Diggle. Felicity blushed and Oliver kissed the side of her head, bodies side by side.

"Hi John," Felicity smiled, waving her hand awkwardly, "I didn't know you would be here."

John leaned back into his chair and shook his head good naturedly, "Hello Felicity. Where's Roy?"

"He's downstairs," Felicity said, using her thumb to point behind her. She'd been going over some of her paperwork and assuring that there trail had been clear at QC and at the Foundry. She couldn't let anything lead them back to her new family. When that had been done Sara had left to speak to her father, to check the status of the information that she had handed over. And Roy had brought her to QC to pick up Oliver for lunch, "He said he's switching over to the SUV and is leaving you the town car."

Diggle nodded, starting to put some of his things away; files and papers going into folders, "That's good. I've got a couple things to do while you two are out to lunch."

"You're welcome to join us," Felicity offered, looking to Oliver for confirmation.

Oliver took her hand, wondering when things had shifted to her taking lead like this while still asking him for confirmation out of respect. He liked it. "You're welcome to join us," Oliver agreed.

John waved them off, "No. You two have a good lunch."

"We'll bring you back a burger?" Felicity offered.

"Sure," John agreed, "Onions."

"Agreed. Won't forget the onions," Felicity said with a smile before turning to look at Oliver's confused face, "We got burgers last week at this new place. They forgot the onions and John frowned the entire time. Even tried to strong hold Roy to give him his."

"Didn't even go for Sara?" Oliver asked, eyes fond and happy at the ease that this conversation flowed between them. This felt domestic and right and...how life would have been if he never got dragged into the Bratva. Felicity was truly bleeding into all parts of his life.

Felicity grinned and slipped her hand into his, fingers lacing. She felt light spirited here, talking to them as if it were just a casual day with her boyfriend and her friend, "No one would dare."

He swung their hands lightly, "So burgers?"

"Burgers," she confirmed. She looked over at Oliver's wide desk, the entire top covered with papers and folders, "See that you guys have been busy. Need any help cleaning up before we leave?"

John waved them off, "I got this. You two get moving."

"We owe you," Felicity promised, already thinking about bringing him back a milkshake too.

Oliver checked his pockets without letting go of her hand, "We should be back in about..."

They were interrupted by a knock on their door. Oliver's secretary peeked inside, not waiting to be called in, "Excuse me Mr. Queen."

Oliver coaxed her inside, knowing that the interruption had to be important, "It's no problem. What is it?"

"There's been a call from the front desk," Nina said. For once she wasn't so well put together. She looked, if Oliver was right, a bit confused.

They all stood a little taller, a little straighter.

"If its not someone from the list I gave you, then tell them that I'm busy and schedule an appointment," Oliver said curtly. He wasn't expecting anyone and they barely had any walk-ins.

Nina opened her mouth for a second, picking her words, before she spoke, "It's actually not for you Mr. Queen. It's for Ms. Smoak. She said she's your 'girlfriends' mother."

Felicity felt like the air was sucked out of the room as she continued to speak.

"Her name is Donna. Should I send her up?"

Oliver turned Felicity to him, his hands cupping her cheeks. But she couldn't hear him. All she could focus on was the fact that her mother was downstairs. The person she'd run from. The person that had never understood her and subsequently her hurt.

Her mother.

* * *

"What did you say?" Felicity asked Nina, her voice trembling as she stared at Oliver's executive assistance.

"Donna Smoak is down at reception. She said she's your mother. Should I ask security to send her up?" Nina asked in an unsure voice, as Felicity seemed to further pale at the concept of her mother being here at QC. "Ms. Smoak?"

"I…" Felicity tried to say, but she couldn't speak.

It had been years since she had seen her mother. She had left her behind along with their life in Las Vegas when she left for M.I.T. Not once her mother had tried to reach her, even though Felicity did look for her mother once or twice, to make sure she was ok. She would do it in the comfort of her dorm room of course, never daring to go back to that hellhole. But she had looked. And now it was all part of her past. A painful past. A past that she tried to forget every day.

She felt panic grip at her.

"Felicity?" Oliver asked cautiously, ready to do anything that she asked of him, "Are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she said, trying to calm down. It was not the time to get lost in a panic attack. She wasn't a scared little girl anymore. She could do this. She could face her mother and everything that she represented.

"What do you want to do?" Oliver asked her, softly moving his hand down her forearm, "I'll support your choice, no matter what."

"I…I will talk to her," she whispered. She said it again, a bit louder this time as if to try to convince herself and not him, "She's here already. I can't…as crazy as it sounds I can't send her away. I'll talk to her."

"Are you sure?" Oliver asked her, worried.

"Yes," she said, moving her hands down her dress, almost as she was trying to get rid of invisible wrinkles. She was different now and it felt like a clash of worlds but she couldn't turn her away, "Nina, please ask her to come up."

"Right away, Ms. Smoak," Nina said, as she moved away to call the front desk.

Felicity turned to look at Oliver who was silent, but she could see on his face how worried he was. He knew she and her mother didn't get along. She had told him about many of their fights and all the things that pushed them away all those years ago. She had told him how she had always felt like her mother was leaving her, never picking her own daughter, never being what Felicity needed. Always lost in her own little world. He knew what she was feeling.

"I'll be ok, Oliver," Felicity said, her hand slipping into his, "Maybe this is good. Maybe it's what I need. Closure."

"Do you want me to stay with you?" he asked, knowing already that she would want to be alone but giving her the choice just in case.

"No! The last thing I want is for you to watch the Donna Smoak show," she said sadly, kissing his hand, "But thank you for offering."

He tugged her closer, "Why don't you two talk in the conference room? It's private enough."

"Thank you," she said, resting her head on their joined hands and taking in a deep breath.

"I'll be here in my office if you need me. Ok?" Oliver assured, moving to kiss the top of her head, putting his arms around her in a comforting hug.

She held tightly onto him, her face against his chest as she let the scent of his cologne mixed with the scent that was all him, wash over her. She took in a deep breath, letting Oliver's presence calm her down, ground her, and give her strength for what was to come. He moved his hands down her back softly, as he felt her tense body relax into his arms.

"I better go to the conference room," she whispered, moving out of Oliver's embrace.

"I'll be waiting for you," Oliver replied as she walked out of his office, purpose in her stride.

She could do this.

Without looking at anyone else she strode across the hall to where Oliver's private conference room was. She opened the door and anxiously walked inside the large room. She looked around the empty space while nervous shivers ran down her spine. She could do this.

Felicity made her way around the room to the other side, hoping distance would give her some courage. She felt all of it drain out when she heard the ding of the elevator and Nina's voice greeting her mother.

She held her breath to deal with the storm that was coming.

* * *

Felicity stood unmoving, her arms crossed, as she stared out of the window. It was just past lunch and the streets were filled with people. Looking down at them she almost felt like she was far away enough…enough so that nothing could touch her. Nothing could hurt her.

But that wasn't true. She would never be able to be far away enough so that it wouldn't hurt. There was no way to escape the pain coming.

She tensed when she heard the door opening and the familiar sound of high heels echoing in the room. The sweet perfume that filled the air was familiar, but different from the one she used in the past. It lacked the constant nauseating smell of cigars and whiskey.

"Lissy?" Donna asked softly, and for a second Felicity almost wanted to cry. But she held it back, trying to stay strong. She looked down at her red heels – her power shoes -and took a deep breath. She could do this.

"Hi, mom," Felicity said shortly, turning around to face her mother for the first time in seven years.

Her mom looked different. Her hair was a darker shade of blonde and there were small wrinkles in the corner of her blue eyes. She was wearing the longest dress Felicity had ever seen her wear, and she looked classy, sophisticated. She looked beautiful. A far cry from the desperate mess that she had last seen when she left Las Vegas.

"Oh, honey," Donna said, her eyes filling with tears, "You've grown up so beautifully."

"Yeah, seven years does that to a person," Felicity whispered, her tone more bitter than she wanted it to be. She didn't want to be this person, to hold on the resentment of all those years ago. But it hurt. It hurt so much. No matter how good it was to see her mom.

"Felicity," Donna said, moving around the conference room table and closer to Felicity. Donna paused when Felicity took a step back as if the distance between them was enough. It stung a little but she respected the space that her daughter seemed to need.

"How did you find me?" Felicity asked her curtly as she held tightly onto the back of one of the chairs at the large conference table. Needing the physical distance between then, a barrier.

"What?" Donna asked confused, overwhelmed by the coldness in her daughters eyes.

"How did you find me? I didn't tell anyone where I was. And I sure as well didn't let you know I was moving to Starling City."

"I…I saw a picture of you."

"A picture of me? Where? When?" Felicity inquired, crossing her arms against her chest.

"It was in a gossip magazine. You were at some event. There was a picture of you there. It didn't mention you by name, but I would know your face anywhere. No matter how you look. I'm your mother after all."

Felicity snorted, the words cutting her even though they weren't meant to, "Nice to see you know that."

"Honey…" Donna whispered, her eyes begging for Felicity to let her in. To listen to her. But she wasn't moving, not an inch, not after everything.

"So you just decided to drop everything and stop by?" Felicity asked, feeling like she wanted to bolt but holding her ground.

"I haven't seen you in seven years, Felicity. So I'm sorry if I had to stalk my own daughter to get to you," came out of Donna's mouth and she instantly regretted the words as Felicity's face scrunched up in anger, "It was the first time in years that I had any clue where you were."

"And whose fault is that?" Felicity countered, her voice rising.

Donna held her hands up and tried to regroup. This wasn't going the way she expected, "I know…I know that I made a lot of mistakes. But if you could just hear me out…"

"What do you want mom?" Felicity asked her sharply, "Money? Did you see me with Oliver in that picture and you decided to see if I got my hands in the Queen fortune? Is that it?"

Donna shook her head frantically, "Of course not! How can you even say that?"

"Because I know you!" Felicity fumed, angry tears pooling on her eyes. "That was how you raised me, remember? To find a man to support me? The richer the better," she hissed, feeling everything that had pushed her away from her mother all those years ago coming up and washing over her, "After all, I need someone to take care of me."

"I know that I wasn't the best role model for you. I know I had many issues. I know I hurt you, Felicity. But I always wanted the best for you," Donna whispered, tears pooling in her eyes and falling down her face, "I'm not here for money. I'm here because I care for you."

"Yeah…you have a funny way of showing it," Felicity said, biting her lower lip, trying to hold back the devastation she was feeling inside. Trying to not let the tears in her mother's eyes get to her.

"I'm not that person anymore, Felicity. After you left…I lost everything. I realized that I needed help. That I needed to get the hell off of the destructive path that I had been on for so long," Donna said, wiping her eyes and trying to get it all out in the time that her daughter was allowing her to speak, "I left Dave. It took me some time, but I left him. I left the casino. I took a turn in my life. I work as a hostess of a restaurant now. I go to therapy. I went back to school. I am better. I am not that woman anymore."

"Good for you," she said cynically. It only took her leaving for her mother to get her life together. That hurt more than she expected and her knuckles turned white at the grip she had on the chair, "It seems you have it all figure it out. I guess that me getting the hell out of your life did you some good."

"That's not what I meant and you know that."

"Do I?"

"I never meant to hurt you," Donna said desperately. She took a step towards Felicity and her daughter moved away once more, "I always loved you, Felicity. I made a lot of mistakes, and I know that I was not the kind of mother that you wanted me to be. But I tried. I was there when your father wasn't."

"Here we go again. You can't play that card to justify the way you acted. The way you chose to live your life. The way your choices affected me."

"I know that," Donna said with a sob, "I was in a real bad place. I needed help."

"You spent 17 years in a bad place," Felicity said coldly, "I grew up thinking that I didn't matter because you were in a bad place? Do you have any idea what it feels like to know that you barely had a mother figure if your life because she was in a bad place? That fixes everything. Thank you."

"Felicity! No!" Donna shouted, trying to get her to listen, "I always tried my best for you. To give you everything I thought you needed. I thought I was doing the right thing! That you needed a family."

Felicity lost it then. "All I wanted was a mother that would pick me!" she shouted.

"Felicity, please," Donna begged, "I'm sorry, ok? I fucked up and I'm sorry."

"No!" Felicity hissed. "You can't just come here and say you're sorry. Not after everything. It doesn't fix things. It doesn't change the past. It doesn't change how I felt abandoned, how I felt like I wasn't good enough. It doesn't change anything." When she was finished she realized that she had broke into tears.

"Lissy," Donna whispered, eyes roaming all over Felicity's face and trying to figure out how to salvage this. She'd found her. She couldn't let Felicity leave thinking that her mother didn't love her, "I love you…"

"Don't." Felicity whispered, not holding back her tears anymore. Her head was hurting and she felt her feet moving before she could stop herself.

Donna calling out to her made her stop, "Wait!"

The room became quiet and Felicity didn't move as her mother came nearer. Donna didn't touch her when she finally reached her. She just stood next to her, Felicity's face turned down to look at the floor.

"You won't ever forgive me, will you?" Donna asked, as the devastating truth hit her. Felicity remained silent as Donna nodded and pulled up her purse, placing something on the table nearby, "I'm staying at a hotel in the city and…I wrote my number on the back of the card. I know…I know you've always…no, I've always made you feel like I chose others first. And you're right. I chose others when I should've chosen the brightest most wonderful thing in my life. I should've chosen you."

"I don't know if I can forgive you," Felicity admitted, sniffling softly.

"I came here thinking that you would forgive me and that somehow things would be better. I was wrong. You don't have to forgive me for what I did. I just...I want you to know that I love you. That I miss you. And that if given the opportunity…" Donna's hand reached out for Felicity's arm but her hand stopped, fingers curling away, "…I'd love to show you that I pick you over anyone else in this world."

Felicity swallowed, her hands shaking as her mother stepped away from her and left the room as quietly as she entered. She had no words to express the surprise feeling of lose she felt at her absence.

* * *

When the door opened Oliver...well Oliver didn't know what to expect. He wasn't sure if he'd see Felicity come out, arm in arm with her mother. Or if it would be Felicity storming out, eyes wide and angry with her mother entering her life unannounced; during such a precariously complex time. It could have been anything.

But he was still surprised when the door to the office flew open and Felicity's mother stormed out. He only caught a flash of her face since her face was down. There was sadness with a lingering trace of heartache and anger.

As not to startle her, he approached the door and slowly opened it, peering inside, "Felicity."

She was standing by the window, her back turned to him, as she stared out at the city. It unnerved him that there wasn't a peep coming out of her. Not even a movement.

"Felicity."

She didn't speak as he came near. She was scaring him and he hated the feeling of it. No one was allowed to quiet her like this; make her stiffen up with a quiet resolve as she tried to figure out things.

When he reached her he didn't know where to place his hands. He fumbled for a second before hesitantly placing his hands on her waist. When she didn't shy away he gently slid his arms around her and pulled her back to his front.

He remained silent.

She remained silent.

Neither knew if it was five or ten minutes when she spoke next. Her hands had begun to shake a little and her stiff pose breaking as she pulled back from the fight she'd just had. It was like waking up all of a sudden and it was a comfort to have him there.

Oliver hugged her closer, pressing his face into her hair, and trying to show how much he loved her and was there for her with his touch. She took it all in.

"Oliver," Felicity whispered, her voice choked with tears that he hadn't even known were there again. He didn't let her go.

"Hey, hey. It's ok, I've got you," he assured, warm palms widening over her stomach.

She let her head drop forward and her shoulders shake, sobs no longer contained. She felt pulled at all sides from her anger in the past and the words her mother had spoken to her in the present. "She came to find me," Felicity revealed, voice shaking, "To fix the past."

He let her speak.

"I yelled at her. I told her what I felt and she…she fought back," Felicity rambled, feeling weighed down by her emotions, "I was so angry. There was a part of her still there from the past but then not the same. I don't know what to do. It's like I'm being pulled from all these sides. I feel like I'm a teen again and I just…I can't understand what to do with all this. I feel justified in my anger but she's my mom and a part of me still feels for her and it feels like I shouldn't have let her go."

When she turned to him she tucked her face into his throat and held him close. Oliver returned the embrace just as fiercely. He kissed her hair.

"I..." Oliver began, "I'm not good at this. This comfort thing. I don't know the right words to say or what to do to make you feel better. But I do know a couple things and I'm willing to try."

Felicity pulled her face slightly off his neck so when she spoke it wouldn't be muffled, "Ok."

He stroked her hair lightly, "If I could have a moment. An opportunity...to have my family back. To laugh with them. To make fun of them. To argue with them...I'd take it without hesitation."

There was a sharp inhale against his neck and he could feel the trace of a tear go down his neck. He continued.

"I know that this is hard and that this is the last thing you expected today. But it happened. And now you have that opportunity. For all you know this could be a good thing."

"How do you know? It could be the same as before."

"Well how do you know it's going to be a bad thing?" he countered.

Felicity closed her eyes and sighed. Her mind ran over her mother's words again. She didn't know and it felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest when she admitted it out loud, "I don't."

"And that's ok too. I'm on your side. Whatever side you pick, that is. And if you want to give it a try I'm there. And if you don't I'm there too. I know from what you've told me that your mom isn't or wasn't the best example of a mother but..."

"She's got a job now. At a restaurant as a hostess. She's going to school," Felicity said, mind still reeling over the revelation, "All it took was me leaving for her to change."

"She saw what she lost. And that's where it all changes. I've changed. You've changed. Maybe she's changed too," Oliver said, not sure how to continue but knowing that he was going in the right direction the more that her body relaxed, "I just don't want you to regret it years down the line. I don't want you to regret not trying to see if it's real."

Neither commented on the years down the line. There was the assumption, no the assertion that they would still be together.

Felicity's shoulders dropped and she began to feel herself relaxing, the argument and the tears making her tired beyond belief. There was truth to his words and a part of her heart knew it. It was the reason why the card with her mother's number was tucked away in her pocket. She just needed time to think this through. To evaluate everything, "You're wrong, you know."

"Wrong?"

"About not being good at this. You're great at this."

He laughed, the noise breaking the tension of the room, "Anything for you." They fell into an easy silence then, the argument fading away for the moment as Felicity finally got her bearings back. Oliver rocked her slightly side to side.

"What if..." Felicity said, readying herself to tell him her greatest fear. What she thought might happen if she opened herself up to her mother, "What if it's the same? What if she doesn't choose me first despite her promise that she would only chose me from now on?"

Oliver gently pulled away this time. He wanted to see her face when he told her this so there would be no doubt. Placing his hands on her face he wiped any and all traces of her tears with his suit sleeves. He even ignored her when she complained that he was ruining his suit. When that was done he cupped her face and held her eyes, "Then we'll do this together. And if she can't see how much of an honour it is to choose you first then it's her loss. I choose you first. Never forget that."

Her eyes filled with tears, happy this time. The words 'thank you' and 'anytime' floated through the air between them as he wiped the few stray ones that fell. She in turn, grasped one of his hands and kissed the palm.

Felicity closed her eyes and took a deep breath, shaking the pain of her fears off. She felt safe here and wanted to stay forever. When she opened her eyes she took in Oliver's concerned gaze and kissed him soundly. When it ended she didn't move away, "Can we skip lunch? I just...I want to go home."

Oliver brushed his nose against hers, both their eyes closed at such proximity, "Yeah, let's go home. I'll have Nina cancel my afternoon meetings." He cupped the back of her head and kissed her forehead, "I'll take care of you."

His words were simple and yet true and the smile that appeared on her face made her cheeks ache, "What about John's food? I promised?"

"I'll take care of that too. Don't worry. He won't mind."

She gazed up at him, face still flushed and eyes shining with love. This man stood by her side no matter what they happened to face, "I love you."

He tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. This was the woman he stood by without hesitation, "I love you too."

"And thank you."

"For what?"

She bit her lip before grinning widely at him, mind reeling back to a past conversation, despite how drained she felt, "For choosing me over Colin Firth."

Oliver beamed at her, a laugh breaking out of him and clearing the room entirely of any last remaining heartache or pain from her encounter with her mom. He gathered her close again. His arms warm and comforting around her, "I'd choose you over Colin Firth any day."

Felicity laughed into his shirt and relaxed against him, melting into his embrace. Maybe everything would be ok.

* * *

He rubbed his tired eyes, hands curling into fists and trying to coax some life back into them. He was crouched over his computer, his aching hands moving over his keyboard and flying from monitor to monitor.

He needed to hurry according to China White. She expected results and she expected them now.

It felt like ages since he'd started looking for the one that had broken into China White's system. He'd barely slept since she gave him this job. And how could he? She expected him to follow a list of men all over the city electronically. To follow their every move and look for any suspicion because she felt there was something wrong there. She felt that one of her men had betrayed her.

So she kept watch of him, now more than ever, in hopes of scaring him to work faster and harder. The threat of her presence and her displeasure at him not finding anything loomed over him like a shadow.

So he worked harder. Barely slept. Kept watch and remembered when she came and the movements of the guards outside his door. Trying to get this out to her. To find some trace to help keep him alive and out from under the boot of that frigid bitch. He mused that if it wasn't for her amount of protection, her guards, he might have stood a chance of taking her down and escaping.

He was just going through the footage for some charity gala that two of China White's suspects were attending...when he saw her. He thought it'd been a fluke. A trick of the camera or lighting. But something stopped him from dismissing it away. He pulled at the thread.

He followed her. Over every available camera angle he could find, he sought to get another clear look at her face. He needed to see and figure out what this happy, shocked and scared feeling in his chest actually was.

It was when she was leaving for the night that he finally saw her face again. He paused the video. His hands shook, eyes widening at what he saw and how she'd changed. She was blonde now. Clothes different, hair different...yet it was her.

"No, no, no," he repeated quickly as his hands flew over his keyboard. Multiple windows opened over the three screens closest. And with each one that opened his heart started beating faster and his hands started to sweat.

It couldn't be her. No she... she couldn't have survived. They had all been hit by it. Had paid for the things they had done to China White and the Triad. They had thought everything was OK. That they had stolen money all over again like they'd done so many times before. But they'd been wrong. Oh so wrong.

China White had come in the cover of night, slipping into their apartment like a shadow. And she'd torn them down with a ferociousness that had terrified him. Even all this time later he felt the fear deep in his bones and in the aching scars across his body. And her, he'd been told she suffered the same fate.

He followed her as she got into her car and disappeared into the night. Every screen in front of him confirmed it.

China White had lied.

"It was her!" he yelled as he slammed his trembling hands down onto his desk, "She lied!"

He wasn't the only one left. She was there on his screen and somehow she'd survived. From the looks of it she'd fallen into a worse situation than he had. China White must have sold her to him. That was the only explanation as to why the man next to her was Oliver Queen, the leader of the Bratva.

A white-hot anger came over him as his fingers lifted and traced her face. He had to find her. Had to free her from whatever hold Oliver Queen had on her. He'd find her and free her.

His other hand came up to his chest, fingers touching the places where the bullets had torn through him. He'd yelled at her to go...to run. She'd been so fucking scared. Eyes widening but following his instructions with her shirt still covered in his blood. And he'd been wrong. She hadn't escaped.

"I'll find you Felicity," he said, mind already at work at how he could get to her and free her from the brute looking Queen, "I promise."

* * *

**A/N: *GASP* Who is this man?! And famous last words right? Saying it will all be ok. Lol. Thank you again for joining us this week and reading! Until next time dears! **

**On a side note, The Alternative Source started a tumblr for your smut Olicity needs last week. It's going really well so come over and send her prompts on: .com ! (remove parentheses) **

**Love, **

**PoisonAngelMuse &amp; TheAlternativeSource**


	17. Here With Me

**The Crow Chapter 17 – Here With Me**

**Disclaimer:** We own nothing but our plot and our own characters. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to DC Comics and CW Television. All rights over this idea and its concepts belong to us. This work is intended for the private enjoyment of the reader and is not to be shared on any other sites (besides AO3 and FF) or events without our express permission.

* * *

**A/N: Hi everyone!**

**We want to thank you all for the amazing support and love. Those past few chapters were difficult for us on a personal level, so your support meant the world to us! Thank you!**

**Tonight we will have the most expected moment on our entire fandom! Let's enjoy it together, shall we? WAVE YOUR OLICITY FLAG HIGH!**

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**Link for The Crow Soundtrack - /lyra-aureus/the-crow-official-soundtrack**

**Enjoy!**

**Music – Here With Me by Dido**

* * *

_I didn't hear you leave,__  
__I wonder how am I still here__  
__I don't want to move a thing, it might change__  
__my memory, oh I am what I am, I'll do what I want,__  
__but I can't hide._

_And I won't go, and I won't sleep, and I can't breathe,__  
__until you're resting here with me,__  
__And I won't leave, I can't hide, I cannot be, until__  
__you're resting here with me__  
_

_Oh I am what I am, I'll do what I want, but I can't hide,_

_And I won't go, I won't sleep, and I can't breathe,__  
__until you're resting here with me__  
__And I won't leave, and I can't hide, I cannot be,__  
__until you're resting here..._

Felicity moved her fork around what was left of her eggs. She looked at Oliver who was devouring his breakfast. She enjoyed the sight of how relaxed he looked.

She loved these small moments, where there was nothing but her and Oliver, just enjoying each other's company. There was no Triad, no the Bratva, no crazy mothers that barged into her life. When it was just the two of them everything was simple. Because they loved each other and it was simple as that. Nothing else mattered in these moments they shared together.

"You ok?" Oliver asked her, drinking his coffee, and startling her out of her thoughts.

Oliver knew that Felicity was trying to hide how the presence of her mother in Starling City was affecting her. But he knew her, he could feel in every desperate touch of her hands, in how she kept staring at things. He also saw it in how she tried to hold onto him at night, almost as she was afraid it would all disappear. He knew she was afraid. Donna Smoak represented many demons to Felicity; her mother was part of a troubled past that she'd rather forget, and Donna made her lose her balance. He had been expecting her to tell him exactly what she wanted to do with the 'Donna situation', but so far, she hadn't touched the subject.

So he gave her space. Oliver knew that Felicity needed time to deal with it, to gather her thoughts and feelings because no matter what had happened in the past it was her mother. And he knew that deep down she missed her. But he would have to wait for her to want to talk to him. He wouldn't pressure her. He would be here for her.

"Yeah," Felicity covered up with a small smile, "Just anxious I guess."

"Excited to start at QC?" Oliver asked with a small smile.

"You could say that," she said biting her lip. "It's my first real job, I mean, besides working part time in the library back when I was attending M.I.T. And I know that this is part of the cover for the documents we gave to Quentin but…its still a real job," Felicity rambled, her mind going over her time with the Raiders and all the good they had done. Even though if not through the right means.

"You mean your first real job besides working as a private consultant," Oliver said with a small smirk, as she rolled her eyes at him. "Rumour has it that you're pretty good at it."

"That is the rumour, Mr. Queen," she teased, softly pecking him on the lips.

His large hand came up and rested on her jaw, thumb stroking her cheek, "You will be fine, Felicity. You're the brightest person I know. QC is lucky to have you now."

"It will be a nice change I guess," she said with a shrug, leaning into his touch. The truth was that she was excited to be able to do some good again, yet, the recent development with her mother, the Bratva and the Triad investigation had left her uneasy. Things were getting ever more complicated.

"Hey, if you don't want to do this…" Oliver began, hoping he wasn't pressuring her into doing something she didn't want to do. Even for a cover.

"No, no! I do…it's just…" Felicity cut off before looking down at her half eaten plate.

"You're still worried about your mom."

She looked up at him with a wince, "Is it that obvious?"

Oliver nodded, "Just a little."

"I don't know why I even care. I mean, she essentially forgot that I existed for the past seven years. Not to mention all the issues that we have always had. We're far from being close. Yet, no matter how mad I am at her to trying to come back into my life like that, I still worry you know. And I feel particular stupid for worrying about her."

"She's your mom. Of course you care. That's what family does," Oliver said softly, holding her right hand with his.

"Maybe I shouldn't," she groused, leaning back into her chair as Oliver finished off his food. She hated feeling like this right now, "I spent almost my entire life being the one that took care of her. Being the responsible adult. It took me years to accept that my mom would never change. I feel like I have worried about her my entire life. That's why I left Las Vegas and never looked back. I couldn't keep living like that. And now that I'm finally in a good place she comes barging in my life and asking me to accept her? To take her back?"

"Do you want to have her back in your life?" Oliver asked her, scooting closer to take her hand. She immediately laced hers with his.

"I'm not sure. I don't know if I can ever let her in again. Not after everything," Felicity said, trying to hold back the frustrated tears that wanted to spill down her face. She didn't like that this affected her so much, "Yet, here I am feeling guilty that she stopped her entire life because of me. She has her job, school, and responsibilities. She's been in Starling City for days now. For me."

"I'm sure that she thinks that being here for you is more important than all of those things. Otherwise she wouldn't have come like that."

"I'm not sure if that is a good thing. She was always impulsive. I don't want her to lose her job because of me," Felicity said, looking around the patio that she and Oliver were having breakfast on. It'd been a lovely morning and they decided to change things up before heading to work together. Then the topic of her mother came up, "And here I am, worrying about her all over again. I feel so stupid."

Oliver brought his other hand up and rested it on their joined hands, "Don't say that. You're not stupid. I think that you still care about your mom, Felicity. That doesn't make you stupid. It makes you human. It shows the amazing person that you are."

She tried to hold back the smile at his compliment. Even in moments like this he was sweet, "I can't let her rule my life Oliver. I can't let her have so much power over me. Not anymore. Not after everything that I've been through."

"How about this, maybe you need your mother to earn your love?" Oliver said, after all, he had to fight with all of he had for them to be together. Felicity didn't let people easily into her life; not because she didn't want to, but because she was scared to lose the people that she let into her life. And after knowing the story between her and her mother, to know exactly what happened to the Raiders, it wasn't difficult to understand why she tried to shut everyone out. She was trying to protect herself the only way she knew how.

"Maybe." Felicity said taking a sip of her coffee with her free hand, the other holding on tightly to Oliver's.

"And no matter what you decide to do, I'll support you. If you decide to try and make things work with your mom, I will be there every step of the way. If you decide that you don't want to see her ever again, I'll make sure to never let her come near you again. If you decide you don't want her in your life, but that you want to know how she's doing, I'll make sure to make that happen. But most importantly, this decision is yours and yours alone. I'll be here for you, no matter what."

"Thank you for understanding," she whispered, pulling their joined hands to her mouth to place a kiss there.

Oliver continued, "And if she really cares, she will do everything to have you back in her life. She will do everything it takes to earn your respect and your love."

"How do you know that? She never did before," she whispered, her tone showing how broken she was over it.

"Because you are worth it," Oliver said, using their joined hands to bring her closer, "If there is a person worth fighting for in this world, it is you Felicity."

"You're saying that because you love me," she teased, feeling how her face flushed at the completely open and honest look on his face and his words.

Oliver chuckled, "I do love you, but that's not the only reason. You're remarkable, Ms. Smoak. Anyone that spends a second with you can see that."

"Thank you for remarking that," she said with a small smile, "And you're right, it's my decision. And no matter how much it hurt to see her…I need to talk to her. I need to move on, I don't want to carry this with me anymore."

"You want me to ask Diggle to bring her to the mansion?"

"No. I'll call her," she said, leaning forward to rest her head on their joined hands, "I need to do this on my own."

Oliver kissed her forehead, "Ok."

She pulled back with a smile, the distance between them now small. "Maybe I should take her to have lunch later this week. I don't know," she whispered unsure. "Where can you take your erratic strange mother that you have tons of issues with?" she said with a small laugh.

Oliver's forehead wrinkled in mock deep concentration, "Hmmmm…well…I'm sure Nina can book a nice place for the two of you to meet. That could work."

They detangled their hands and Felicity smoothed over his wrinkled brow with her thumb. He looked absolutely adorable like this, trying to make her smile. "It could. I will ask her when I see her later," she said with a small shrug even though she was grinning.

"Now come on, let's show the world how remarkable you really are," Oliver said, getting up from the table and finishing the conversation about Donna. He helped her up and took her hand, "Starting with the Advanced Science Division at Queen Consolidated."

* * *

It was when she was crossing the street on her way to meet her mother with Sara, that she saw him. It was like a dream, her eyes widening and her breath catching in her throat as she caught sight of his face. It was him. She knew it was.

When their eyes connected he did the strangest thing. He ran.

Before she could stop herself her feet were carrying her towards him. Hands wanting to touch his face and make sure that he was real and not an illusion; a trick of her mind. There was a shout from behind her, that her mind belatedly recognized as belonging to Sara, but she couldn't stop. Her mind ran blank, eyes only on his retreating back.

It was him.

It was Cooper.

And she needed to get to him.

Felicity melted into the crowd on the sidewalk as she ran after him. When he took a sharp turn down an alley, she didn't stop to think that this was a trap or that things were unravelling, she just ran.

He led her down that alley and into a building. She'd barely made it through the door when someone grabbed her from behind, tugging them back into their chest and covering her mouth with something that instantly made her woozy, limbs relaxing and head falling back.

She had one last thought before the darkness took over.

'I shouldn't have ran.'

* * *

Felicity woke up cold and on something soft. Her hand reached out next to her as if by instinct, looking for Oliver. It didn't touch him. Only touched something hard right next to her. That's when her mind finally caught up with her.

She wasn't home. She wasn't with Oliver. She had chased after a ghost. She had chased after Cooper.

Her eyes snapped open and she jumped up, taking in her situation. She'd been lying on an old couch in what looked like an abandoned office.

"Hey, it's ok," a voice said from across the room. She followed it to see him standing there with a take away cup of coffee in his hands. His eyes were happy to see her and his skin was lit by the light streaming through the windows. He wasn't a ghost.

"Cooper?" Felicity said. Her breathing hitched and she felt her eyes water.

She made to stand and he quickly made his way towards her, concern etched on his face, "Don't move. You've been out for a bit."

When he reached her he placed the cup on a chair in front of her couch and pulled her into a half crouched hug. She clung to him; still confused but oh so happy to have him there in her arms. A part of her family was still there. Still alive.

"Oh my god. You're alive. I thought...I thought you were dead. I saw you…you get shot," Felicity cried into his shoulder. This felt surreal.

Cooper quieted her down and pulled back from her, "I know. It's crazy but I survived. I'm here."

He sat on the chair and handed her the coffee cup quickly. His eyes ran over her as if trying to remember her and the times they had. She did the same thing, "Here. Something to wake you up a bit."

"What happened? I...I was running after you," Felicity said, piecing everything together as her mind cleared up. She looked up at Cooper accusingly even though she was amazed and happy that he was here with her, "You drugged me! Chloroformed me! What the hell Cooper?"

Cooper had the decency to look ashamed, fingers fiddling with his jacket, "I'm sorry. I just had to bring you somewhere safe and quick. There was a woman following you."

Felicity finally pieced the last piece of what had happened. The hand not holding the coffee came up to pat at her pockets. "Oh my god. I ran off from Sara. She's got to be freaking out by now." Her pockets were flat, no phone in sight, "Where's my phone?"

Cooper pointed behind him where her phone lay on one of the desks. The battery was sitting next to it, "It was ringing like crazy. I took care of it."

Her happiness damped down a bit as she took in the full scope of the situation. She'd run from Sara towards something surprising and wonderful, Cooper. But why did he have to take her phone? Why did he knock her out if he only wanted to talk to her? Why didn't he come to her?

Something was wrong.

"How long was I out?" she asked delicately as she looked at his twitching fingers and his messy hair. She hadn't realized how dishevelled he looked. He didn't even have signal well done hair and clean clothes.

Cooper shrugged, "A couple hours, I guess."

"Fuck," Felicity cursed as she went to stand. She really needed to contact Sara. Contact Oliver. This weird feeling that she was getting in the pit of her stomach…Oliver would fix it.

Cooper reached over and stopped her with a hand on her shoulder; pushing her back down onto the couch, "Don't get up. I used too much. Don't want you to fall over and hurt yourself."

In all honesty Felicity felt fine but she sat back down, her eyes glancing back at the phone momentarily. Something was truly wrong with Cooper and the way he was looking at her, "What's going on Cooper? How are you alive? Why did you take me?"

"China White. She saved me. After...after she shot me and after you escaped she saved me. I still have the scars to prove it," Cooper said as he lifted his shirt and showed her the wounded skin. Months later it still looked like it ached.

Felicity noted that he avoided answering her last question but she couldn't help her eyes widening as she caught site of other bruises on his skin, "And what did she do to you?"

Cooper scoffed, "Everything. That woman took me and put me in some apartment building or something. Somewhere where she could hide me away. She's been hiding me there for weeks. Ever since the apartment I've been working on her system. Making it better and stopping intruders."

"She's been using you?" Felicity asked, swallowing the bubble of feelings in her chest. She had hoped that he wasn't the only one. And now she found out that the person that she'd been working against was her family. And the way he looked at her she knew that he knew he was stopping her, "And…you're the only one who survived?"

He nodded, looking down at his hands. "Yeah. I'm the only one. Well except you," he said before straightening in his seat and looked at her with his head tipped back a bit, "I'm here to rescue you."

"Rescue me? Cooper..." she said in confusion.

"I know you're working for the Bratva. I know everything that's happened Felicity and I know you're the one messing with China White's system. I recognized you when I was following some of China White's men. And by the look on your face you now know it was me too. I never realized how good you were," Cooper explained, his face becoming eager. He moved to the edge of his seat and it honestly freaked her out, "But I found you to take you away from it all. To save you. You don't have to worry anymore. I won't let him force you."

She slowly leaned forward in her seat and planted her feet firmly on the ground, ready for something she wasn't quite certain of, "Force me? Look Cooper. You've got the wrong idea. Things...they're hard to explain but I need you to know that Oliver isn't forcing me into anything. I'm helping him hack into China White's system."

Cooper rolled his eyes and laughed, "Of course he's using you. Look at yourself. You're different. You look different and now you're telling me that you're the one hacking the Triad for the Bratva? He did this to you!"

She shook her head, eyes flickering again to her phone, "No, I changed to hide Cooper. You know China White is ruthless. And Oliver was the best option when I thought you were gone. When I thought all of you were gone."

"What are you saying?"

"That I'm ok. I don't need to be rescued," Felicity explained. She wanted to reach out and touch his hand but she wasn't sure if it was welcome with the way the conversation was going, "Why don't you come with me? We'll go to Oliver and talk to him. Tell him what's happened and where you've been?"

"No!" he shouted, making Felicity flinch at the anger in his voice, "I'm here for you. I'm not here for Queen or the Bratva. I'm here for you. To take you away from whatever he's done to you. What's happened to you?"

Felicity didn't back down from his disbelieving look. No one was allowed to talk about Oliver like that. Not in her presence, "Nothings happened to me. He hasn't done anything to me Cooper. I'm asking you to trust me."

"Is he hurting you?" Cooper tried again, "Is that it?"

"No! Why would you say that?"

"Because that's the only reason why I would think that Felicity Smoak would be working with Oliver Queen. 'The' only reason why you would be draped over his arm."

She bristled at his condescending tone but stopped it from showing on her face, "Cooper its not like that. I promise. We're working together. He's not like what we expected. He's not like the others. He's kind and will help you like he helped me."

"No! We're not going to him!" he yelled as he jumped from his seat. For a second she thought he was coming towards her but he started pacing the room. He looked crazed and she couldn't deny it anymore. She was afraid of him. "No way I'm going to him. He must have done something to you. Messed with your mind Felicity!"

Felicity stood, sensing the sharp shift in the mood of the room. She slowly moved to the edge of the seat. She tried to explain again, "He's not messing with my mind Cooper. I ran because I thought you were gone. I thought I was alone. And I used what I knew to join up with the enemy of my enemy. But I was wrong. He's not my enemy. He's my..." She hesitated in saying that he was the person that she loved. The person she wanted to be with right now instead of being with the previously dead, Cooper.

"He's your what?" Cooper asked sharply. He must of read something on her face because it twisted in disgust and shock, "Oh my god. Are you in love with him? Is that what it is? You'd stay with criminals, betray me, instead of coming with me because you're in love?"

Felicity didn't deny it but didn't speak the words out loud in fear of Cooper and the look on his face. Oliver, Sara, John and Roy were not criminals. They were her family. And she'd thought Cooper was her family as well. But right now all he looked like was betrayed, "Cooper, I would never betray you. I would never lie to you." Felicity finally stood and held her hand out, "Come with me. No one will hurt you with me."

"No!" he spit out, pausing in his striding and narrowing his eyes, "You'd help them? Him? He's a brute. He's an animal!"

"He's not Cooper. He's my partner," she said, taking a couple steps forward as not to spook him. Also so he wouldn't notice that she was edging towards her phone. The time for explanations was done. She needed Oliver now. She couldn't do this alone without her family. Her backup.

His words only seemed to make him angrier.

"I came here to get you!" he yelled as he pointed at her and matched her step so they were slowly circling each other, "I watched the guards and followed their changes so I could leave and get to you. So I could come and find you. And now you're telling me that you're in love?!"

She was almost to her phone. A couple feet now, "Cooper, if you let me just talk with Oliver. He'll help you. All I need is your trust."

His eyes blazed with a fury she'd never seen and her body tensed. She paused in her circling out of nothing else but fear and the shocking intent in his eyes.

"No! You won't help me. He won't help me. I WILL HELP YOU! EVEN IF I HAVE TO FORCE YOU!" he yelled as he came towards her. He was going to take her by force. Or at least try to.

Cooper didn't know that things were different now. She wasn't the same girl and he didn't have chloroform or skills to take her down. He wasn't catching her by surprise or taking her anywhere. She was going home.

As his hand came down to grab at her shoulder she grabbed the arm reaching out to her and twisted it to the side like Oliver had taught her. Pressing her other hand onto the back of his elbow she locked his bent over body into place and kneed him in the face. He flew back when she released him, banging into a desk, dazed and confused.

She didn't waste a moment.

Running over to her phone she slipped the battery back into place, eyes flickering up to a confused and angry Cooper. He'd placed a hand on the back of his head and brought it back to his face. There was red on it.

"Cooper," Felicity pleaded, her phone vibrating in her hand for a second before turning off again. She couldn't call for backup. She couldn't call for Oliver to come and help her with this part of her past that had suddenly appeared and was quickly slipping through her fingers, "Let's not do this. We can't...your still part of my family. And Oliver...he's part of it now too. Let's not do this."

Cooper's eyes flickered up to her, hard and angry as he wiped the blood off on his jacket, "You are not part of my family if you are with the Bratva. I don't want anything to do with you or your fucking protection. You aren't the same person that I fought with. But as a courtesy I'm going to give you one last thing."

"And that is?" she asked, feet already taking her back to the open doorway Cooper had entered the room from. Whatever was about to spill from his lips was bad. He had completely slipped from her grasp.

His hands came up underneath him sluggishly as if trying to stand but he didn't look away from her. "I'm going to give you the chance to run," he growled, "You have betrayed what we were. What Sin, Rory, and Chuck were for your own selfish needs of love."

Even though he was half crazed and bleeding the words stung with each name that he spoke, "You're wrong. There is nothing selfish about what I'm doing. Or who've I've become."

Cooper wasn't listening to her words, not anymore. He slammed a fist back into the desk behind him. "I'm not wrong! You have betrayed all that we were. You're dead to me!" he said with finality before he leaned forward and harshly spit out his last words to her, "Now for that last thing. The last courtesy for the girl I knew. I'm letting you run Felicity. RUN!"

Felicity took a final moment to look at the boy, no the man, that she knew. What she'd seen truly was an illusion. What was lying before her was not someone who cared for her or could look past the things she'd done; accept the person she had become.

So Felicity did the only thing she could. She ran towards the people who accepted her. Protected her. Loved her.

She ran to her family.

* * *

Felicity didn't know exactly how she got back to Queen Consolidated after she jumped into that cab. Her hands were still shaking, and she went on autopilot; the car ride through the streets of Starling City a blur as she tried to process her encounter with Cooper.

Cooper had attacked her. Had taken her words and thrown them to the side as if they were nothing. As if they had no history and had spent years together. Their encounter with China White had changed them both, Cooper for the worse. The hurt at such a realization was numbed by the anger she felt for him. He was wrong. She wasn't a traitor. She was working towards something good.

When the cab pulled up to QC she paid the driver, noting that she gave him more than needed. But it didn't matter. He could keep the change. She needed to get to Oliver.

Felicity had barely stepped off the elevator that lead to Oliver's office when she was enveloped in his strong arms. He had been waiting for her.

Oliver wrapped his strong arms around her so tight that she could barely breathe. There was relief on both ends of the hug; their bodies pressed against each other a soothing palm to the panic they felt. Felicity for her encounter. And Oliver at not being able to find her.

She pushed her head into the crook of his neck, letting his scent wash over her. She dug her nails down into his suit clad back, trying to hold back the storm of emotions that Cooper had wakened in her. Oliver had become her anchor. Her strength. Her home. He was the only one that could make her feel safe. The only one that could make her feel like it would all be ok. She was beyond ecstatic to be in his arms.

"Where have you been?" Oliver asked her, his voice and hands trembling as pulled back and he held her face between his hands, his dark blue eyes filled with a mix of fright, happiness and fury. "You have any idea how desperate I was."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, holding his shuddering hands with hers.

"Don't ever do this again," Oliver murmured, his eyes storming as he tried to control himself. He just wanted to whisk her away to somewhere safe. But he couldn't right now. Not here.

"I won't," she whispered as he pulled her into his arms again, kissing the top of her head. Felicity could feel how distressed he had been. She could feel his fear. His despair. How terrified he had been, wondering what had happened to her. Wondering if she was another person that he loved and that had been taken away from her. If she was another victim of the darkness that consumed him; The Crow.

She felt ashamed of running after the ghost of her past; of worrying him.

"If something had happened to you…" he whispered, not being able to finish the sentence. But she knew exactly how he felt. She felt the same way every time he had to put his mask as The Crow for the Bratva. She always feared that she would lose him too.

"I'm ok, Oliver," she said, looking up at him and caressing his stubble with the tip of her fingers, trying to calm him down. To show him she was safe.

"You were gone for hours Felicity. No one could reach you. I thought…" Oliver admitted in a whisper, closing his eyes, trying to fight back the dark emotions that were clouding his mind. When he opened his eyes there was numbness there, he looked broken. Like he had old a hundred years in those past few hours, "I thought I had lost you. We thought we lost you."

"I'm sorry for running from Sara and…" Felicity began, only to be cut off by Oliver.

He gave her a significant look that said 'we'll talk about this later where it's safe' and turned their joined bodies, "No. Not Sara. Us."

"Us?" she asked him, finally catching sight of what Oliver was trying to show her. It was her mother. Sitting in an armchair in an armchair. Her face was stained with tears and she was holding a glass filled with water while Nina tried to calm her down.

"Mom," Felicity said, surprised to see her mother there.

"Lissy," Donna whispered, trying to form a smile, but she couldn't hide how worried she had been.

"Your mother came with Sara after you disappeared," Oliver said coldly, pulling away from her. The word 'disappeared' had a bite to it, "I need to call the searches off." With that he walked away from her.

"Oliver," she whispered, watching as he moved into his office to make the call. He didn't turn to look at her and she understood why.

She knew that he was trying to put some distance between them before he said something he might regret in the current company. Oliver was a difficult man. His traumatic past mixed with the violent life he took lead him to be a control freak. He had a bad temper and he had been obsessive about her safety ever since the Triad had almost killed them on their 'fake' first date. Today had been all of his fears coming together. She could picture him thinking about the worst possibilities; she could see him falling apart with each waking second, with each lack of news about her whereabouts.

She knew this was the only way he could cope. But it still hurt to see the anger in his eyes and know that she couldn't explain until her mother was gone.

"Felicity?" Donna asked cautiously, pulling Felicity's attention to her, "Are you ok?"

"Yes, mom. I'm fine," Felicity said, crossing her arms against her chest. She didn't know how to tell her mother that this was too much. That she needed her to leave so she could explain to Oliver everything that had happened with Cooper. Warn him.

"Please don't say you are fine," Donna said with a searching look. She stood from the armchair and walked towards Felicity, "I may not be the mother of the year. But I know you well enough to know when you're upset and trying to put a brave face on."

These weren't the right words to say to Felicity at the moment. "Since when?" Felicity asked in a bitter tone.

"Since always. I used to think that if I let you be, you would feel better. That you'd rather if I didn't hover. I guess I had no idea how to deal with my teenage daughter," Donna said sadly, shuffling her feet a bit.

They stood silent for a few moments. Neither knowing what to say to the other. Felicity couldn't tell the truth to her mother, but she also didn't want to make things even worse between then. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place where her heart and mind were fighting against each other.

"I'm sorry I didn't show up at the restaurant," Felicity said, looking down to the floor, not able to lie straight to her mothers face, "I guess I got nervous and I lost my courage. I just couldn't do it."

"I know it was a big step for you," Donna said, trying to sound optimistic. "I'm just glad you called me."

"Mom…"

"I don't want to pressure you, Felicity. I know that I have no right to barge into your life and ask for your time and your love."

"Mom, please. I can't do this right now," Felicity pleaded, looking up and seeing that Oliver hadn't returned. She wasn't able to deal with her mother on top of all things. Not after everything that had happened today.

"I know, honey," Donna said, trying to give her an understanding smile, "Maybe some other time?"

"Maybe some other time," Felicity agreed. Her mom looked dejected and that tugged at Felicity. She blurted out, "When do you plan to go back to Las Vegas?"

"In two days. I've got to go back to work."

"Ok," Felicity said, pushing her glasses up her nose. She swallowed when Oliver finally finished his call and waited for her outside his office, his face not giving anything away. With a deep breath of courage she focused back in on her mother, "I'll call you later, and then we can reschedule it. If you like."

"I would like that," Donna said with a small smile. She was trying to hide how hurt she was but she would take any opportunity to fix this, "I guess I'd better go." She turned to look at Oliver, "Thank you Mr. Queen, for letting me wait here with you. And for watching over my daughter."

"It's no problem Ms. Smoak," Oliver said with a nod.

She turned back to Felicity, both knowing that she wanted to hug her goodbye. But they weren't ready for that. "Bye, Lissy," Donna said before stepping around her and heading to the elevator, Nina escorting her.

"Bye, mom," Felicity whispered, her eyes following her mother until the elevator doors closed and she was gone.

* * *

It only took a couple seconds after Donna disappeared into the elevator for Oliver to crowd her, hands skimming over, trying to check her and make sure she was ok. He still was angry but being able to touch her without holding back made him relieved.

"Are you ok? Where were you? Why did you run from Sara? We couldn't find you," Oliver spoke quickly and sharply before emphasizing, "I couldn't find you."

Felicity let him check her over for a moment more before grasping the sides of his face and bringing him to her. She needed this badly, "Hey. I know you're angry. But I'm ok. I'm fine. Pinkie promise."

"Are you sure?" he asked once more. His voice betrayed what he felt inside; anger, fear, and worry.

Felicity gently kissed him, pouring all her love and strength into that kiss, "I'm sure. But I can't talk about this here. I want to be somewhere. We need to go home. I'll tell you there."

"Fuck," Oliver nodded, his forehead pressed against hers as he drank in everything about her. He'd been really scared, no scratch that, fucking frightened for the first time in years. Afraid of what her disappearance meant. He thought he'd been protective before, sending a guard with Felicity everywhere she went. Now it would be two guards, scoping out the places before hand, and a tracker on her if he could convince her too. Which he had a feeling she wouldn't agree to but he was sure to try, "Ok, lets go home."

"To our room?" she teased lightly, voice low and worried.

Oliver huffed a breath. He couldn't stay mad at her. His smile was slow and sweet even though he was tired and still freaked out from not knowing where she was. He tucked her into his side, not wanting to let her go far, "Yes, to our room."

* * *

A car ride with John and a phone call to Sara and Roy later, their friends were heading to the mansion and they were in their small sitting area. Oliver was sitting on the couch and Felicity was gently pacing in front of the coffee table trying to figure out what to say to him. Where to start.

"Ok, tell me," Oliver gently said instead of asking. He had significantly calmed down during the car ride. She was safe and with him as he told her how Sara returned with Donna. How Sara had lied to Donna. And how Sara had told him that she'd run off without any notice. He needed to know what had caused her to run and had shaken her so bad that she came back to him frightened and shaken. The Crow planned to destroy whatever it was.

She held up a finger, "Please. Give me a second to collect...my thoughts at least. It's a lot to explain."

"I've got time," Oliver assured, an edge to his voice that he immediately shook off. It wouldn't help to be mad. She'd run back to him afraid. Something had happened to her and he needed to know, "Maybe start with why you ran from Sara? Why you scared the hell out of her?"

Felicity looked guiltily over at him, "I'm sorry. I'll apologize to her multiple times when she gets here later."

Oliver waved it off, "She'll be grateful for a promise that you won't run from her ever again."

"I won't run like that again. I promise. Today was a lesson to never do that."

Oliver nodded and signalled for her to go on. He was past being curious.

"I saw Cooper," Felicity blurted out. Oliver's eyes narrowed and she didn't give Oliver a moment to react to the shocking news. He knew all about Cooper during their late night talks, "I saw him across the street and I thought it was a dream. I thought I was seeing things but it was him. And before I knew it I was running towards him. I...didn't recognize anything was wrong or that I should stop. I just saw him."

Oliver swallowed the bit of jealously he felt at the happy look on her face. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, "And that made you run after him and into possible danger?"

Felicity stopped her pacing and looked over at him. She knew what he was thinking and she needed to crush any jealousy, "He's family. Nothing else. Or...or he was."

"What do you mean?"

"I followed him and he used chloroform to knock me out," she explained. She wasn't surprised with his reaction.

"What?!" Oliver asked angrily, eyes hardening. If he could get his hands around Cooper's neck right now he would. He took a steadying breath, hands clenching at his side because she wasn't done with her story yet.

"It gets better. I woke up on a couch in some abandoned office and he brought me coffee like it was normal. Like it was ok and he didn't just knock me out. And I was happy to see him Oliver," Felicity said. She remembered the moments, before he lost himself in anger, with wonder, "He was part of my life. But there was something wrong with him. He'd apparently been saved by China White after being shot and she's had him working on his system for weeks. He's the reason why it's been so hard to get into her system again. He's there. Probably in one of the rentals that we found out about and gave to Quentin, now that I think about it."

With every piece of information she gave him, Oliver got madder and madder. He already had plans for John, Roy, and Sara to look into Cooper as soon as possible. But for now he reached out to her. He wanted her close again, "Then what happened?"

"He was going to take me away," Felicity began gently as she took the hand he reached out to her with, "Had illusions that he was going to rescue me."

He laced their fingers together, "But he didn't."

"No he didn't. I tried to convince him at first. Show him that he could come home with me, meet you. But he wouldn't take it. He thought I was delusional at first. Then he thought I'd betrayed him. Betrayed everything we've worked towards," Felicity said, her voice becoming strained at the end. The last bit hurt the most. She would've died for them. Even Cooper.

Oliver didn't like the way that her face saddened. He tugged her hand gently and Felicity ended up curled in Oliver's lap, her head on his shoulder, face turned into his neck. He knew how much what had happened with her friends hurt her. Had been witness to nightmares concerning them. "You didn't betray anything," he soothed, his anger dwindling as he focused only on her.

Felicity hadn't even realized that her eyes were tearing up, "I know I didn't. I'm doing good things with you. We're working towards something. A future. I know that I didn't betray them."

"It's just a part of you doubted for a second?"

Felicity wasn't even surprised that he had guessed that, "Only for a bit. For a moment I thought about what I've been doing, what's happened, and how I've changed."

"And how I've changed you. What I've done," Oliver finished. He was part of her doubt and pain even if she didn't say it out loud.

Felicity lightly smacked his chest gently, "Hey, no. I chose this. And I know who you are. You're a good person Oliver. Don't doubt yourself. So take all those feelings of doubt and guilt and put them aside."

Oliver chuckled and nuzzled her head before placing a kiss at her temple. Felicity continued to amaze him, "Only if you don't doubt yourself as well. They were your family. You didn't betray them. You've done nothing wrong."

"Deal," Felicity said as her hand came up and curled into Oliver's shirt. She had one final thing to tell him, "He tried to take me then."

Oliver tensed and she ran a soothing hand down his chest. "Take you?" he gritted out.

"Yes. To save me he was going to take me. He didn't, of course. I used that one move where you grab the arm and twist it," she said proudly, gesturing with her hands.

Oliver relaxed back into the couch and placed a hand on her knees. He could feel his flare of anger turn into pride, "Did you knee him?"

She grinned into his neck, "You better believe I did."

Oliver gathered her to him, his wide hands cradling her close. This day really had been a whirlwind. But Felicity had defended herself with the things he'd taught her just in case. The lessons had been worthwhile, "Atta girl."

"He went down and I tried one last time to convince him to come home with me. To meet you and figure this all out. But he refused and gave me one last chance to run," Felicity said as she relaxed into Oliver's safe embrace. She was exhausted but had to finish telling him her tale, "I took it. Found my way out of the building and flagged down a cab. Made my way where I knew I'd be safe."

Warmth spread through his chest that she considered him her safe place, "With me?"

Felicity tucked her legs in closer to him and nodded sleepily. "With you," she confirmed.

Oliver pressed his face into her hair. She was his safe place as well, "I'm proud of you."

His words filled her with joy but she had to ask him one final thing, "You're not mad?"

Earlier today the answer might have been yes; when he was lost in his anger and desperation to find her. But they were together now and the person responsible would pay for what they did to her, "I was worried. Not mad. Just don't...don't run like that again. Promise me?"

"Promise," was her mumbled but sure reply. Cooper was an unexpected part of her day. And while part of her was mad and shocked that he didn't trust her, a part of her was happy that he was alive. Maybe they could try again if they found him, "We have to tell the others. Maybe he's still out there. I know he told me to run, that I betrayed him. But…maybe."

Oliver kissed her hair as he propped up his legs on the coffee table and settled back into the couch for some time with her to make up for the time lost today, "I'll tell them in a bit. Let's just sit here for a while."

She could feel the unspoken words between them.

'I was scared.'

'I could have lost you.'

'I don't know how I'd live without you.'

"I'm sorry," Felicity said, voice small.

Nudging her head with his nose, Oliver coaxed her to look up at him, "You scared the life out of me today. But that's over. You're here. I've got you."

A relieved breath left her as he kissed her, mouth warm and soothing, and sealing what had happened today away, "I love you."

Oliver spoke against her mouth, "I love you."

* * *

Felicity looked down at her black pencil skirt for the thousandth time in the past half an hour. She had called her mother the night before and agreed to have lunch today. Donna had been excited to have a second chance, and while Felicity knew that she and her mother needed to try to have a civilized conversation, she was nervous and still unsure of how to act around her mother.

She knew they needed this, even if it was just for closure.

And while she was hesitant to have that talk with her mother, she was also dead worried about Cooper. He had been so different from what she'd remembered, a shadow of the man she once knew. She hated knowing what China White had done horrible things to him for months, saving him only so she could break him all over again. He had survived only to be destroyed.

The way he talked to her, the emptiness in his eyes and the knowledge that there was nothing she could do to help him, devastated her.

To Oliver, Cooper was dangerous, a threat to all of them. A broken man that knew too much and that could ruin them. A man that had all the reasons to. While Felicity didn't believe that Cooper could ever truly hurt her, Oliver was not that sure. After all, he had seen the worst in men for almost his entire life. If there was someone that knew darkness and how it consumed a soul, it was Oliver. Which was why he had insisted on tightening security around her. They hadn't found Cooper and Oliver didn't trust him to not try to find Felicity again especially after the things he'd accused Felicity of.

That was why she was in the backseat of the Audi, while Roy and Sara sat in the front with the radio on. While they now understood why she had acted the way she did yesterday, Sara and Roy were now her constant shadows; both acting like overprotective siblings. It was for her safety, they had assured, and for Oliver's peace of mind. And she didn't fight it. She felt safe with them.

"Ok, Blondie. We're here," Roy said, parking the car in front of the valet of the French restaurant that Oliver's EA had chosen for them, "Time to meet the famous Mama Smoak."

"I really wish you didn't call my mom that," Felicity groaned out, as Roy moved to open her door.

"It could be worse; he could be singing '_Stacy's mom'_ right now," Sara said, as they walked towards the restaurant door.

"I think I just puked a little in my mouth," Felicity said in a deadpan voice as Roy laughed. She would do or say anything to distract her from what was coming.

"Lucky you that I'm not a fan of _Fountains of Wayne_," Roy said, handing the Audi key to the valet, "Even though I do appreciated a MILF."

"That is just disgusting," Felicity said, pushing him away playfully when she saw his leer, "She is old enough to be your mother."

"So?" Roy teased. "I do appreciate all kinds of women."

"You stay the hell away from my mother Roy Harper! Or I will have your balls in a platter," Felicity said, pushing a finger against his rock hard chest, making Roy laugh. She poked him again to show how serious she was.

"If she would stay longer in town we should set her up with my dad. I'm sure he hasn't had a date in the past five years," Sara said, jumping on the bandwagon of teasing as they made their way inside.

Roy held the door open and looked at her with wide eyes, "Imagine that, Blondie? You and Sara could be like sisters."

"You, me and Laurel. Picture that," Sara said with a laugh from behind Felicity, "I see many makeovers and viewings of The Notebook in our futures."

"I hate you both." Felicity said, walking towards the hostess.

"You love us," Roy said with a smirk as Sara laughed. Felicity didn't deny it.

"Let's just get this over with," Felicity said, as they got to the hostess, "Hi, I have a reservation. Smoak, party for two."

"And security detail," Sara spoke up. Her and Roy fell smoothly into guard duty.

"Oh certainly Ms. Smoak. We've set up a special table for you," the hostess said with a large smile, making Felicity sure that Oliver had something to do that, "Your guest is already waiting on your table. If you'd please follow me."

Felicity walked after the hostess with Roy and Sara walking after her, both of them scanning the restaurant for everything and anything.

The place was gorgeous, with dark wood floors and white brick walls. Small draping lights covered the ceiling, giving it a modern touch. A small inner garden adorned the corner where the more private tables were positioned. To top it off there was a glass ceiling above them, letting the natural light wash over the place.

Her mother was sitting in one of those tables. She seemed anxious, playing with the tips of her long hair like she always did when she was nervous. When she spotted her, Donna lips spread into a large smile and she got up from her chair.

"Here you go Ms. Smoak. Your server will be with you shortly," the hostess said with a wave of her, before leading Sara and Roy to a nearby table to keep an eye out for Felicity while giving them the privacy they needed.

"Hi, Felicity," Donna said with a small wave of her fingers.

"Hi, mom," Felicity said, moving to sit down at the table before her mother decided to do something crazy, like try to hug her. She wasn't sure how she would feel about that.

Donna sat back down, scooting forward and trying not to look to eager, "I'm so glad you could make it."

Neither brought up the day before and how she didn't appear.

"Yeah me too," Felicity said as a waiter came over to give them water and menus. When he promised to return and left, both women opened their menus and began looking through the items in silence. There were no prices on the menu. Of course Oliver would ask Nina to send her to one of the most expensive restaurants of the city. She wasn't even surprised.

"Are you sure this place is ok? It's so fancy. I'm not sure if I am dressed for it." Donna said, looking down at her grey dress and back up to Felicity for confirmation.

Her mother did look different. Classy even. "You look great, don't worry about it," Felicity said, making her mother relax at the approval.

"Thank you," Donna said with a smile as silence once again fell between the two.

Neither one of them knew what to say while they looked over the menu of the French cuisine, Donna looked over to where Sara and Roy were sitting.

"So, do you take those two everywhere you go?" she asked, pointing to them. She was trying to start a conversation and Felicity grasped it gently.

"It's a recent development," Felicity said, not looking from her menu.

"I guess it's all part of dating a billionaire," Donna said, taking a sip form her drink.

"Mom," Felicity reprimanded. That was exactly what she wanted to avoid. She wasn't with Oliver for the money and she need her mom going into that. His money had nothing to do with it.

"I don't mean it the way you think, Felicity. A man like Oliver attracts all kinds of attention. So I for one am glad that you have someone to watch over you," Donna explained, as Felicity watched her carefully.

"Yeah, Oliver is very overprotective."

"I noticed," said with a smile at having their eyes locked, "He really cares about you."

"And I for him," Felicity agreed, not hiding the way that she really felt for Oliver. It was clear that she loved him.

"And if you don't mind me asking, how did you two meet?" Donna asked, clearly interested in knowing if it was a fairy-tale come true.

Felicity couldn't tell her mother the truth so she went for the same tale they'd spun for Walter, "I was doing independent consulting work for QC. Oliver was impressed by my work and he asked me to stay on and do a bigger project. We ended up spending a lot of time together. Then one thing lead to the other and we have been together ever since." Even to Felicity the story sounded believable.

"I'm glad that you found someone, Felicity," Donna said with an honest smile as she placed her menu on the table.

"Someone rich?" Felicity asked coldly, not being able to fully open up or accept her mother. She just felt like she was battling with a version of her mother that she knew from the past and that was still present in her mind, with the woman before her.

"No. Someone that cares so much about you that he sends a search party out after you disappeared in the middle of the day," Donna clarified with an arched eyebrow, and Felicity knew that she had gone too far. She didn't want to get into why she disappeared again.

"He overreacted," Felicity tried to cover, "My phone died and I just needed some time for myself. There was no need to make a fuss about it."

"I think it was sweet. I think that Oliver Queen is the kind of man that all women would want to have. Caring. You're one of the lucky ones, Lissy," Donna said, brushing off the reason why Felicity hadn't met her yesterday. She could sense there was more but she wouldn't push Felicity.

"He is amazing," Felicity said, not holding back her smile. Oliver always had that reaction on her. And it seemed like even with her mother it was true.

"I'm happy for you."

The server returned and took their orders.

"What about you?" Felicity asked her mother while taking a sip of her drink. She had been curious since she'd seen her mother, about her…men.

"Me?" Donna asked, almost shocked. She hadn't thought about a man in ages.

"Yeah, are you dating someone?"

"No, it's been some time for me." Donna said, looking down at the table when Felicity placed her menu down and focused her attention on her.

"Really? You, Donna Smoak, single?" Felicity said, incredulously.

Donna was uncomfortable with the question but answered. Felicity needed to know this, "After David I realized that I needed to take some time for myself. That I needed to get away from those toxic relationships. I've been on a date or two, but nothing serious in ages."

"I wasn't expecting for that." Felicity whispered, shocked.

"My therapist said that I needed to learn to love myself before I could love anyone else. I've been trying to do that. To focus on myself," Donna confessed. Both anxiously waited to hear Felicity's answer.

Felicity cleared her throat. There was a well of happiness for her mother stuck in her chest, "That was how you went back to school?"

"Yeah," Donna said with a small relieved smile, "I always dreamt of finishing my degree when I had you. But I could never find the right time, or at least that was what I kept saying to myself. But two years ago I decided that I needed a change, throw those excuses out and do something. So here I am."

"I'm glad for you mom, I really am," Felicity said, feeling pride for her mother for the first time in years despite the fact that it took her leaving and not returning for her mom to jump on the right track.

"Who knows maybe one day I could be the manager at the restaurant I work for? Maybe even more," Donna said hopefully.

"I'm sure if you keep focused you will do it."

"What about you? What did you do after you graduated from M.I.T?"

Felicity felt her insides panic for a second but she remembered the words she had practiced with Oliver earlier in the day. "I decided to go into independent consulting. I worked with some of my friends at college for some years on the side. I liked being my own boss. To control all my decisions," Felicity answering, speaking in half-truths.

"But then you decided to move to Starling City?" Donna asked, wanting to absorb all the things that Felicity wanted to share with her.

"Yes, I got an remarkable proposal to come to Starling City," Felicity said, biting her lip. Lying to her mother about the real reason why she had to move to the city was harder than she expected it to be the more they spoke. She hated the way the lies fell from her lips. How she tried to pretend that it wasn't blood and horror that made her run away and look for The Crow's protection. What lead her to Oliver, "I'm actually working at Queen Consolidated now on a permanent basis. I decided to settle down in Starling City."

"With Oliver," Donna stated with a smile.

"With Oliver," Felicity nodded.

The server arrived with their plates and they ate in near silence, both women making a comment or two. It was strangely comforting for Felicity to listen to her mother speaking so openly, something that shocked her. She never expected to feel that way again. To actually miss her mother. A part of herself felt incredibly stupid for feeling this way, fearing that her mother would break her heart all over again if she let her get too close.

"This is nice. I feel like we never actually did this. Just sat and talked," Donna said, looking from her plate.

"Yeah," Felicity said, taking a big bite of her food to think. She wasn't expecting this. She was expecting angry tears, excuses and accusations. Not this version of her mother. Not this grown up controlled version.

"Maybe we could do this again in the future. Maybe one day, you and Oliver could visit me in Las Vegas?" Donna said with hope in her voice and eyes.

"Maybe," Felicity said with a shake voice as she swallowed. She wasn't prepared for that.

Too much had happened. She needed time. Because no matter how much she wanted her mother to have changed, to become that person that Felicity always wished she were, she still couldn't fully trust her. No, those wounds may have healed, but the scars would stay with her forever. She couldn't just pretend that nothing had happened. She couldn't just expose herself like that. She needed Donna to prove her that she was serious, that she really had changed. That it was more than just a nice lunch occurrence.

"Can we take things slow?" Felicity offered, knowing she wasn't ready yet but no longer denying that she missed her mother; the small shining bits that she had seen on occasion in her life.

"Absolutely." Donna said, her blue eyes filling with tears. This time Felicity knew they were happy tears.

"I just…I don't want us to rush everything and to get burned in the process," Felicity whispered, feeling the overwhelming emotions rush through her.

"I understand, honey," Donna said, looking down at her lap, "I don't want to push you away. All I want is for you to give me a chance to prove to you that I am a better person now. That I have changed."

"I know," Felicity assured, holding tight onto the napkin in her hand, trying to hold herself back. Her mothers next set of words almost tore her restraint.

"I missed you, Lissy. And I know that I have a long way to go. That I need to earn your trust. Earn a place in your life."

"Mom."

"Just let me say this," Donna begged, placing her hands on the table as if she'd practiced this. "I know that I caused a lot of damage in your life. I know that now. I know that you feel like I was abandoning you every time I let a new man into my life. That I always put you in second place. And you are right, I did that. I was a terrible mother," Donna admitted to Felicity, tears pooling in her eyes. "I know the only time you felt you had a family was with the Watsons. And I thank God that you had them when I couldn't give you what you needed," Donna said with a sob, "I'll never be able to repay that debt but I hope that one day…I will be part of your life. That we will get to start again. Maybe not today or next week. Hell, next month. But one day."

Her mother's words reeled her in but she held still, eyes watering without her consent, "I wish it was that simple. I wish that I could just forgive and forget."

"I know it won't be easy. It will take time and effort. But I think it will be worth it. Even if it is just to hear your voice on the phone."

"Mom...I…"

"I love you, Felicity. You are the best thing I ever did in my entire life. So I will wait until you are ready. I won't give up on you. Not this time."

"I don't know when I will be ready. If I ever will."

"Then I will wait for you," Donna said with more confidence than she'd ever seen.

"Simple as that?" Felicity asked her, not caring anymore as the tears fell down.

"It is when it's about love. And you are worth waiting for," Donna stated, her hand moving without hesitation to softly hold Felicity's on top of the table, "Because I miss you above all things. And I hope that somehow we will find our way again. But most of all, I want you to be happy. That is all I want for you, honey."

"Okay," Felicity said with a small sob, clutching the hand in front of her. Anchoring herself.

Donna wiped at her face, looking surprised and happy, "Okay?"

Felicity nodded, "I want to try. To take things slow. To try to find our way back."

"To each other," Donna whispered, "Oh Lissy."

"We can try to talk on the phone when you go back to Las Vegas," Felicity said with a half laugh as she used the back of her hand to dry her tears. She was offering her an olive branch. She was giving her a chance, "We can Skype. That is why modern technology exists mom."

Donna laughed, "You know that I am a tech disaster. I can barely text with my phone."

Felicity patted their hands, "Its ok mom, I'm going to help you."

"Ok," Donna nodded happily.

"And maybe we will find our way back."

* * *

Felicity spent about two hours with her mother after they came to an understanding. Just talking and catching up on small pieces. More than half of the time was Felicity explaining to her mother the wonders of modern technology. It got to the point where Sara and Roy had joined them, being bored for such a long time and hungry themselves.

There was hesitance when the meal was finished. Even the most hesitant of hugs.

And now she was back home. Purse left with Sara as she went to find Oliver and tell him about the lightness that she felt in her chest at the thought of her mother, of the way that things could change if it went as well as their lunch went.

When she got to his office, Felicity whisked into the room like a breeze. Her eyes locked onto Oliver's working form and then he suddenly had a lap full of Felicity within one blink and the next.

Throwing her arms around his shoulders, Felicity devoured his mouth and Oliver went with it willingly.

When they pulled apart for air he placed a hand on her neck to hold her in place, "Not that I don't love you coming in here and demanding, well stealing kisses, what's gotten into you?"

Felicity beamed at him, "I had a good day."

"Had a good lunch with Donna then?" Oliver asked, his hands supporting her body. There was something about her smile at the moment that was infectious.

Felicity nodded, eyes still bright, "I know I should still be thrown off by Cooper and the storm that comes with him appearing but...it's my mom." She said the last part with extra emphasis as if that explained it all. To him it did. Her mother was something that had plagued Felicity from the very moment he met her and he could see a spark of something different in her.

"Sara called a little ago. She and Roy said it went well."

"And they were right," Felicity said as she trailed her hands over his shoulders to hang off the back of his neck, "We talked and agreed to take it slow. Maybe some phone calls and texts. Move up to maybe meeting each other later on. But for now she's going back home where she has to go to work and school. Can you believe that? My mother went back to school."

"It's good. Shows change."

Felicity ducked her head a little and smiled, "It is."

"So that's why you attacked me?" he asked, looking down at where she sat in his lap.

Somehow Felicity was able to look bashful and proud, "Yes, that's why I attacked the Bratva Captain with my mouth."

"Minx," Oliver slanted his mouth across hers again in a hard kiss, "Are you happy?"

"Yes. It's not exactly a fresh start. But it's something. It's progress."

"It is. And with how things are going with Quentin and the info we gave him..." Oliver trailed off.

"We're working towards our happy ending," Felicity finished proudly at the prospect of such a long time together despite the opposing forces around them.

Oliver's smile was unhurried as he thought of her words in the privacy of his office with Felicity pressed against him. This was his life. Not the Bratva. This.

His hand ran up her back reassuringly as he spoke words he never thought he'd be able to say in this lifetime, "Our happy ending."

He kissed her again, this time things became more heated than either expected them to.

"Bedroom?" she asked into his mouth.

Oliver nodded as he gripped her hips closer so she could wrap herself around him when he stood, "Bedroom."

* * *

Oliver walked her back to the bed until she felt the sheets at the back of her knees. They'd made quick work striding back to their room and locking the door, mouths somehow still attached. She was about to sit but Oliver turned her with a small, "On your stomach."

She followed his instructions and crawled onto their bed. Lying down on her stomach she looked back at him over her shoulder coyly, "Like this?"

His eyes flared with hunger and he nodded, "Just like that. Don't move baby."

Felicity watched him curiously as he trailed his hands up the back of her thighs, pulling her dress up and exposing her as he went. When his eyes caught on what she had worn for him underneath, he inhaled sharply and she felt a sharp stab of lust and pride. She did that to him.

"You wore this for me?" he asked, eyes on the scrap of cloth that barely constituted as underwear.

Goosebumps erupted across her skin and she saw the careful determination in his eyes, "Yes, for you."

Oliver palmed her ass, both hands pulling her open so he could catch a glance of her wet centre. "Open your legs for me," he demanded.

Felicity eagerly complied, spreading her legs just enough for Oliver to sit in between.

"Lay your head down," was his next command. His voice was a little breathy and excited. He hadn't used a commanding voice like this…well ever, "I'm going to take care of you."

With her head on the sheets she could no longer see what he was doing. She could feel it though. Feel how he leaned forward and gave her bottom a quick stinging bite. Feel how he pulled her underwear to the side. Feel how he trailed one of his fingers up her slit.

It was new territory with them.

Felicity gasped, hands curling into the covers when his touch really hit her. She lifted her hips up and his fingers slipped inside a little. Oliver didn't chastise her like she expected him too. He just chuckled and pushed his middle finger inside, rubbing the wet heat along up to her clit just like he knew she liked.

She closed her eyes, enjoying the pleasure that he was giving her. She'd missed his touch, "A little faster."

"Want me inside?" he asked casually and she felt her legs tremble.

Of course she wanted him to unbuckle his slacks and push inside, make her scream with every thrust. But this was different. She liked different.

"No, this is different. I like it," she moaned as his finger ran over her clit, "Make me come like this. Only your fingers."

Oliver complied without a word even though he felt himself begin to harden, fingers massaging her clit and the hand holding her panties to the side massaging her ass as he stroked just inside of her.

He teased an orgasm out of her minutes later when he surprised her by pressing a finger deep inside; her face pressed into the sheets, muffling her moans as she clenched around his finger.

"What was that?" he asked smugly, adjusting himself in his pants. He was hard and wanted her but he wouldn't move without her say.

Felicity lifted her head from the pillow and repeated her words, "I said, I don't think I've ever come that fast." She turned to look back at him and her eyes fell to his stroking hand, "Planning on doing anything about that?"

Oliver stroked himself a little harder while his other hand kneaded her bottom, "You said you liked me using my fingers and wanted me to make you come like that."

The restraint and respect that he showed her even in this moment made her love him even more. Settling her hands under her she spread her legs a little more and tilted up her hips. It had the desired effect of his eyes zeroing in on the moisture between her legs, "Take care of me again."

He grinned wickedly, reading the underlying words. She wanted to go for round two when he was teetering over the edge already at just the site of her.

His hands fumbled with his pants, "I won't last long." The words felt foreign to him but she did this to him. Set him on end easily.

Oliver stood and pulled her hips back so she was effectively on her knees on the edge of the bed. He swallowed when she turned back to him and smiled once more before settling on her hands, cheek resting on the bed.

With his cock in hand he ran the tip over her slick folds, his hand holding her panties to the side. They both gasped lightly at the timid but hot touch. He coated the head with her slick for a couple moments, running it over the length of her, "You feel so good Felicity."

She keened when he pushed inside of her in one smooth thrust, bottoming out, "Need it Oliver."

Her words made him pull back his hips and give a shallow thrust, "Harder?"

"Yes, please!" Felicity jerked her hips back into his and met his next thrust. She'd just come but there was something so pleasurable about having him splitting her open again. She wanted to come again with him inside of her.

Oliver cried out. She was a clenching heat around him that he couldn't resist anymore. He quickened his hips. Pulling back he ground his hips into her, paying special attention to the cries and whimpers leaving Felicity.

He wished he could see more than her flushed face and closed eyes pressed into the bed as he drove into her. But the sight that lay before him, his cock disappearing into her as he filled her, was something truly to behold. His thoughts were interrupted by the slight tightening of Felicity around him.

She could feel her orgasm creeping in on her again as he pressed her down into the bed. She arched her body up a bit when he changed the angle of his hips and hit that spot inside of her that made her cry out, "Oliver!"

His other hand dug into her hip and held on as he thrust into her, growing closer to his climax. He didn't know it was humanly possible to feel what he was feeling right now. The hum under his skin and the warmth that washed over him and her.

"Felicity!" Oliver groaned and threw his head back when his lower stomach clenched and he came in her. His hips stuttered in their pleasure but he pushed through because of the curling of Felicity's body too. She was coming with him pressed deep inside, body wreaked and satisfied.

He held himself above her and helped her through her orgasm until he stopped thrusting and all that was left was the echo of Felicity clenching around him. His hands were shaking lightly were they held her as she slid forward and rested on the bed, effectively pulling him out of her.

They didn't move for a second. Both flushed, breathing quickly and with bodies slick with sweat. They felt sated and happy and just wanted to relax.

Not wasting a moment, Oliver removed his shirt and cleaned both of them up before removing the rest of his clothes. He gently helped Felicity out of hers and left their clothes in a pile on the floor before tugging her close to lay next to him, their limbs tangled together.

Felicity pressed a kiss to his shoulder before propping her chin up there. Her heart was still pounding against her chest. A deep need to sleep curled around the man she loved hit her when he kissed her forehead, a hand trailing up her arm to stroke her hair.

He lazily fiddled with a lock of her hair. He was sleepy and content. "I kind of miss your dark hair."

"Do you?" Felicity asked in amusement at his random observation. This was happy and all consuming sex they'd just had. The last thing she thought he'd bring up was her hair.

He contemplated the lock for a second before answering honestly, "Yeah. You looked beautiful then. You look beautiful now."

"Sweet talker," Felicity teased. She ran a hand down his chest and stroked the line of hair there.

The room became quiet again, an easy silence until Oliver broke it. He felt like reminiscing for a moment with her, "I sometimes think about it. The first time we met."

"Which part?" Felicity asked, opening her eyes and just realizing how close they were laying together after coming apart in each other's embrace when he shifted a leg in between hers, "The part where I freaked you out and threw the house into chaos? Or the part where you yelled at me for soaking your carpet."

"I didn't yell," Oliver protested gently.

Felicity walked her fingers up his stomach and singsonged, "Yes you did."

He tugged the lock gently in retaliation and she laughed. "As I was saying, I think about that day. It wasn't the most ideal of first meetings but," he paused, tucking the hair behind her ear as he caught her eye, "But I'm happy it happened. The thought of not knowing you hurts me."

Felicity's hand came up to caress the line of his jaw. She felt exactly the same way, "It hurts me too. Oliver…it doesn't matter what happened in the past. All that matters is who we are and what we do from now on. You know me."

"And I know you," Oliver completed, voice low and intimate as they met in a tender kiss; one born out of love, understanding and trust.

When they parted Felicity scooted even closer to his warmth, tucking her body along the line of him, "That's all that matters."

* * *

**A/N: Awwww Olicity love. Also…*GASP* Cooper?! What a jerk! But yay for SMOAK FAMILY GOODNESS &amp; THE FOLLOWING SMUT!**

**On a side note, the scene from tonight's smut piece came from The Alternative Source's new Tumblr for your smut Olicity needs! Come on over: .com ! (remove parentheses) **

**Love, **

**PoisonAngelMuse &amp; TheAlternativeSource**


	18. I'll Be Good

**The Crow Chapter 18 – I'll Be Good**

**Disclaimer:** We own nothing but our plot and our own characters. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to DC Comics and CW Television. All rights over this idea and its concepts belong to us. This work is intended for the private enjoyment of the reader and is not to be shared on any other sites (besides AO3 and FF) or events without our express permission.

* * *

**A/N: Hi everyone! Is everyone still riding the Olicity high cuz we sure are! We have three more episodes of Arrow and three chapters of The Crow (including this). Hope you guys are ready to join us in the final moments of this great adventure! **

**We want to thank you all for the amazing support and love. Those past few chapters were difficult for us on a personal level, so your support meant the world to us! Thank you!**

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**Link for The Crow Soundtrack - /lyra-aureus/the-crow-official-soundtrack**

**Enjoy!**

**Music – I'll Be Good by Jaymes Young**

* * *

_I thought I saw the devil, this morning  
Looking in the mirror  
Drop of rum on my tongue, with a warning  
To help me see myself clearer  
I never meant to start a fire  
I never meant to make you bleed  
I'll be a better man today_

_I'll be good, I'll be good  
And I'll, love the world like I should (Yeah)  
I'll be good, I'll be good  
For all of the time...  
That I never could_

_My past has tasted bitter, for years now  
So I wield an iron fist  
Grace is just weakness, or so I've been told  
I've been cold, I've been merciless  
But the blood on my hands scares me to death  
Maybe I'm waking up  
Today..._

_I'll be good, I'll be good  
And I'll, love the world like I should  
I'll be good, I'll be good (I'll be good, I'll be good)  
For all of the light that I shut out  
For all of the innocent things that I doubt  
For all of the bruises that I've caused in the tears  
For all of the things that I've done all these years, no  
Yeah, for all the sparks that I've stomped out  
For all of the perfect things that I've doubt._

_I'll be good, I'll be good  
And I'll love the world, like I should.  
Yeah, I'll be good, I'll be good  
For all of the times I never could._

_Oooh oh oh  
Oooh ohh  
Oooh oh oh  
For all of the times I never could._

* * *

It was an angry journey back.

Hours of rage pouring through Cooper's veins as he made his way back to China White's hideout. He could of left. He could have walked away. But that moment was gone at the sight of Felicity and the words that they had exchanged. Felicity had chosen her side. She'd betrayed them when all he wanted to do was take her away from it all. Save her like he couldn't save Chuck, Sin, and Rory.

She would pay for this betrayal. For working with the Bratva. And when he returned to the place that he'd been holed up for weeks in he'd use her own treachery against her. He'd tell China White what he'd found and barter for his release after he screwed Felicity over like she screwed him.

She'd chosen the enemy instead of being out there looking for him like he'd done for her. Just the thought of her trying to coax him to come with her made him sick. She looked all sweet and desperate but he knew the truth. She'd fallen in line with the Bratva and there was no turning back.

A hollow laugh bubbled up his throat as he wondered what would have happened if he went with Felicity. Probably be pushed to helping Oliver Queen just like he'd been pushed to help China White. No, he'd free Felicity from this betrayal.

When he'd finally reached the building he had managed to slip out of in a trash chute he thought it would be difficult to get back inside. Sure he had been watching the guard change for ages, had learned it. But was still hard. It was still a challenge. And there must have been something going because it was easy getting back inside, slipping through the cracks that the guards had left until he'd managed to slip back into his apartment through his bedroom window.

He'd just closed the window behind him, slow and steady as to not make a sound, when he heard a sharp laugh behind him. He whirled around to see China White leaning against his bedroom door.

"Well look what we have here? A little mouse, no, a little rat coming back to his hole."

He felt like his blood had run cold, "China White...I..."

She crossed her arms, a mad smile crossing her smile at catching him in such a situation, "Ohh... thought it was easy didn't you? To return here? Thought you escaped and no one would find you? That no one would see that you were returning here? And now...is this the part where you give me excuses? Is this the part where you try to explain? Have we reached that part?"

Cooper swallowed pressing his back against the wall as she stepped away from hers and subsequently closer to him. He'd come here with a plan and now the words felt jumbled in his mind, not making it past his lips because she'd surprised him.

"I can explain," he was finally able to spit out as she stalked around the bed to him. She looked ready to jump at him. Bite and tear, "I've come back."

"Yes you have. And isn't that the most curious thing. You escape, leave the little apartment I left you in instead of a hole and then you come back? You've got a lot of nerve I'll give you that."

When she finally reached him she slammed her hands next to his face, shaking him out of the line of thoughts he was having. He pushed her away on instinct, hands shoving her away sharply.

China White's eyes filled with glee. She liked that he fought back. After weeks of him staring her down as if he were going to do something...he'd finally done. She grinned, teeth looking sharp and bright in the dim light, as she sauntered towards him, "This is going to be fun."

The last thing he remembered was her fist flying to his face and then black.

* * *

_A Couple Days Later…_

* * *

Oliver smiled as he watched Felicity huff a little in her sleep before burrowing down into his pillow. She was curled around his side of the bed, her delicate hands holding tightly onto his pillow and her legs tangled in the blankets. She had a content smile on her face. She looked peaceful. Something that had been very difficult lately.

The past few weeks had been hard, and while a small normalcy hit them with Donna appearing in Starling City, he could still see how worried Felicity had been about Cooper. The things that he said to her hurt her deeply, and in a way she felt guilty for everything that had happened to Cooper. After all he had been shot while trying to save her. And Oliver knew that Felicity wouldn't rest until she could find a way to make Cooper 'leave the dark side'.

It had been days since their encounter and yet there was no sign of the leader of the Raiders. His absence troubled Oliver, who knew that it was only a matter of time before Cooper did something stupid. Something even stupider than kidnapping Felicity. And to know that he might be in the hands of China White was too much for her.

She was exhausted, and for the first time since they had gotten together she had nightmares again. She would wake up in the middle of the night, the name of her dead friends on her lips, her body shivering. Oliver hated seeing her like that, hated not being able to shelter her for the horrors of life, to not be able to take her pain away. All he could do was hold her and assure her that everything was ok and that he'd be there every moment.

She had spent hours trying to find a way to locate Cooper, doing everything in her power to try to find him, but she'd failed to do so. She had been frustrated and it only aggravated everything around her and took a toll on her.

He wanted to take her away and give her some time away from all the things that brought them sorrow. He planned to do just that when she woke up.

As he stood there watching Felicity sleep, he felt some of those sorrows disappear. He could forget that Cooper existed, that China White was still out there, that Anatoly had been responsible for putting him on a dark path that had cost him his soul. He could let it all go. Even if for just a second.

But Oliver was a practical man. He knew that there was no rest for the wicked, and that he needed to find a way to make sure that things would go according to his plans. For her. With a new purpose in mind he moved quietly around the room, already dressed for the day and left; making sure to not disturb Felicity's calm sleep.

He took a quick trip to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee while he waited for Felicity to wake up. He planned to get some work done in his office until then. Maybe even see if there were any things missing for their trip today. While he sipped at the hot beverage, a gentle knocking happened at his home office door and Sara entered, sleep still clouding her blue eyes.

"_Morning Captain,"_ Sara said plopping down in a seat in front of Oliver. Not two seconds later Nicholai followed with a cup of coffee for Sara. Oliver gave him a nod in greeting as Sara made grabbing hands at the coffee, _"Nicholai."_

"_Captain," _Nicholai greeted with a nod.

Sara was finally able to muster a coherent response,_ "Morning Captain,"_

"_Morning, Sara,"_ Oliver said, enjoying the caffeine, _"Did you conclude your assignment last night?"_

"_Yes, sir. I will report to you as soon as you have some free time,"_ Sara said, tasting her coffee before taking some of the sugar packets that Nicholai had in his outstretched hand. When it was perfect she hummed her thanks and let the coffee work on her system.

"_Excellent,"_ Oliver said, finishing his coffee and handing the empty cup to his chef, _"Nicholai, Felicity and I will not be having breakfast. In fact I'm giving you the weekend off."_

"_Thank you, Captain,"_ Nicholai said with a wide grin as he left to return to the kitchen. He wasn't going to question a couple days off.

When the office door was closed behind Nicholai, Oliver signalled for Sara to join him in a pair of armchairs by the window.

When settled, Oliver said, "So is everything ready for later today?"

Sara nodded, her eyes brightening. They'd never done something like this before and she was looking forward to it, "Roy and John are already on their way there. Your bag and Felicity's is already with them. After breakfast I'll head out to help them get everything ready."

"Good," Oliver replied. He hoped for everything to go smoothly with what they had planned. Now it was time to get through some other very important, yet dreary, matters, "And what about your father?"

Sara's cheery disposition slipped a bit as she sipped her coffee calmly, "I talked to my father yesterday. Like you asked me to do."

"And what did Detective Lance have to say?"

"He said that he and the 'Feds' got into Lao's accounts. They found the money trail from Lao to Henriksen. They know that Henriksen is the middlemen in this operation. They also know that Lao was as much a part of the trade as the Triad. Now they need to find something to connect it all to the Amex Group. He said that Henriksen will be behind bars for the rest of his life when everything's set. But Lao is a China citizen, so they will have to deal with the Chinese government before official charges are pressed."

"Henriksen is weak. Just a small part of the operation. Bet he's got pretty good lawyers," Oliver remarked, running his index finger against his mouth in thought. With the amount of policing that had entered Starling lately Henriksen would be partially ready for what was to come.

"I'm sure the FBI will find a way of making him talk. He's spineless," Sara said with a roll of her eyes. She loathed the guy.

"If the Triad doesn't get to him first," Oliver cut in, stretching out in the chair a bit, "China White won't run this risk. She knows that both Lao and Henriksen will take a deal if they can find a way to get the hell out of prison time. They're a liability she can't have."

"Do you think she would really try something like that? It's risky, even for her," Sara said, setting her empty cup next to her on a side table.

"There's no limits to the Triad," Oliver said in disgust through a clenched jaw, "They'll find a way to get to them." If they would kill an innocent family for having connections with the Bratva, he could imagine what they would do to protect themselves.

"Maybe we should tell them that," Sara said with a shrug. "Find some indication that the Triad plans to get rid of them. Get them into the witness protection program or something," Sara suggested, "There's no doubt that those two know more than they're letting on."

"I'm sure the cops know that already. They know exactly what the Triad does with those that get in their way. Especially the ones with information," Oliver whispered. He had no desire to help the two men.

"So you think the feds are trying to use them as bait? To arrest China White over killing them?" Sara proposed hopefully, making Oliver break out into a smile.

"Who knows what they're planning. All I know is that we have to keep our distance from now on. I don't want to get our hands even dirtier. Let's have the cops do their job. I can't risk exposing any of us," Oliver said as Sara's phone started to ring.

"Sorry, Oliver. It's my dad," Sara said looking down at the phone. Her face was pinched in confusion. She wasn't expected the call.

"It's ok, Sara," Oliver said, peering out the window. It was a bright and sunny day. Perfect for what he had planned, "Talk to your father."

"Dad, hi," Sara said when she picked up. She paused and listened before jumping up in surprise and setting Oliver on edge, "What do you mean you're at the Queen Mansion?"

* * *

"I'm parked in front of those fancy gates of his. Tell Queen to tell his dogs to let me in," Quentin said from inside of his car while a group of men looked at him warily through the gates. They weren't planning on opening anytime soon.

"Dad, you can't just barge in here like that," Sara said, frustrated, "Can't I go to your place later? Then we can talk."

"This time I'm here to talk to your boss, Sara," Quentin revealed, a hint of exasperation in his voice. The men through the fence were now glaring at him and without a doubt running his plates somehow.

"What do you want with Oliver?" Sara asked suspiciously.

"Tell Queen that I have something important to tell him. Something that I can't talk about on the phone."

"Should I ask for him to call his lawyers?" Sara sassed him, making Quentin laugh at his daughter's protectiveness towards Oliver Queen. She had always been spunkier than his other daughter.

"It's an unofficial visit," Quentin explained. When she didn't answer he continued with, "A friendly one. Mostly."

Quentin could hear Oliver saying something in the back and Sara replying to him. The sound was muffed, probably by Sara trying to cover it with her hand. If there was something his daughter was more than anything, it was loyal. To her, Oliver Queen was as much a part of her family as him, Laurel and even her mother. So she would do everything in her power to make him safe. It was just in her nature. He just sometimes wished it wasn't the man he suspected of being part of organized crime in Starling.

Sara spoke up, "Park in the side garage, first left after the gates. I'll meet you at the door, dad." Then she hung up.

A few moments later Quentin watched as the large iron gates opened in front of him. Four large men, which were clearly armed, stared at the stranger's car wondering what he was doing there. They watched him drive through the gates and from various positions across the property. When he was parked and the car turned off he took a large deep breathe before getting out the car. He patted his side to reassure himself that the gun was still there. It gave him the last bit of courage to convince himself that this was the right thing to do; even if it wasn't strictly speaking legal.

He walked towards the impressive entrance of the Queen Mansion, where Sara was waiting for him. She looked tense, her arms crossed against her chest while she waited for him with the patented Lance frown on her face.

"Detective Lance," she said shortly, clearly not happy with his sudden decision to come to the mansion.

"Ms. Lance," he greeted back, feeling the eyes on him. He knew this was dangerous. He was an officer for the SCPD literally walking inside the home of the Russian mob. He felt like there was a part of him that always knew that Oliver Queen was part of the Bratva. The Captain in fact. But he'd never been able to pin anything on him despite following his career and connections. And while a part of him wanted nothing more than to put him behind bars, another part of him respected him. He kept his men in check, made sure that no cop got hurt on his watch, and on top of it all – he saved Sara. It was because of his life debt with Sara that he was there and not just turning Queen in.

"Please follow me," Sara said to him before turning and walking inside the mansion. Quentin followed her close behind.

They walked through the luxurious mansion, more men staring at him without even hiding it. They watched in silence, keeping their distance, but Quentin knew that they would take him down with one command from their leader.

"He needs to search you," Sara said, when they turned a corridor and Roy was approaching them.

"Search me?" Quentin said, almost shocked.

"You'd rather I do it?" Sara said with an arched eyebrow.

"Let's just do it," Quentin said with a sigh, while Roy patted him down. After a pointed glare from his daughter he handed over the two guns that had given him so much courage when stepping out of the car, "Satisfied?"

"Perfectly," Roy quickly responded as he walked away with a promise to return them when he was leaving.

"Mr. Queen will see you now," Sara told him, starting their trek down the long corridor again.

She led him to a large home office filled with endless books and dark wooden panels and mahogany furniture. Oliver Queen was sitting behind a large desk, his eyes staring at a computer screen, almost like he didn't have a care in the world.

Quentin's face scrunched up in dissatisfaction. Queen knew that he was here for something important. He was full of shit.

"Detective Lance," Oliver said, getting up from his chair and walking towards them. He offered his hand to Lance to shake.

"Mr. Queen," Detective Lance said, his stoic impression on, giving nothing away while he shook Oliver's hand.

"I must say that I'm surprised to see you here, Detective. Please, have a seat," Oliver said while Sara closed the heavy wooden door of the home office, providing them with some privacy.

"I think this is a matter that would be better handled personally. Considering the delicacy of it," Lance said, sitting down in a chair in front of Oliver's desk, while Sara stood off to the side, watching them.

"And what matter is that?" Oliver asked coolly, sitting down again in his large desk chair. He was trying to give off an air of calm indifference. Quentin's arrival was more than a surprise.

"Recently I made the acquaintance of your girlfriend, Ms. Smoak," Quentin began. He caught the slight narrowing of Oliver's eyes.

"I'm well aware Detective," Oliver said, steeping his fingers together on top of the desk. He already didn't like where this was going.

"Then you must now that she asked for my assistance in certain matters," Lance said, not knowing exactly what he could explicitly say. He was planning on treading a line he'd never crossed before.

"I am," Oliver said with a nod, "As you can imagine, this kind of information put me and my company in a complicated position. We thought that bringing this information to you was the best way to act on it."

"The intel that she provided me was very helpful. I know she has a certain 'talent' in all of this, something she was especially excited to let me know about. I also know she was afraid to get in trouble for it. Afraid of getting you in trouble."

"She wants to make sure we're all safe. Including your daughter Sara," Oliver said, playing down their lie and reminding Quentin why it was best to play along, "But it was the right thing to do. She knows that. I know that. Just as I know that you wouldn't put her on the spot for helping you, would you detective?"

"I always protect my sources," Lance said with slight hint of annoyance, almost indignant with the insinuation, "What she provided helped put the investigation on the right track."

"I'm glad to hear it, Detective," Oliver said calmly. He hadn't even noticed that his hands had flattened across the desk in an effort to stop himself from demanding what the hell the detective was really there for, "Yet, you are here in my home. Why is that?"

"We both know why I'm here," Quentin whispered, looking between them all.

"Dad!" Sara said, shocked that her father would go there.

Quentin just kept on going, "We both know that you have a more complicated business at hand than just Queen Consolidated. I've always known you were more. That you were Bratva. Yet, I always believed that we had some short of silent agreement over it."

"Go on, Detective," Oliver said, trying to understand what he was getting at. The moment had finally come for them to stop lying to each other.

"You have kept your part of your deal," Quentin explained, peeking over at Sara, "and I did mine by not talking. She may not be in the path that I would have chosen for her, but she is happy and safe. That's all that I've always wanted for my little girl."

"Dad, please," Sara pleaded. She had no idea where this conversation was going if her father was willing to bring up the fact that he knew Oliver was Bratva all along, then it was a bad one.

Oliver interrupted her, "Detective, you know that I care about your daughter. She is a part of this family."

"And that's why I'm here to give you a shot."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Oliver asked him with a slight curling of his lip. The way he'd said it grated on his nerves. This was his home.

"Shit is about to hit the fan, Mr. Queen. No use in trying to pretend it isn't. The Feds are a lot closer to getting the Triad then we thought. They are digging and digging. They won't stop until this whole operation goes down. But most of all, they know that the Chinese mob has close ties with the Italian and Russian mobs in this city. They are next on the list."

Oliver tapped his fingers against the desk as he thought, "Detective, I still don't understand what you want me to do."

"I know that you have ties to a certain brotherhood. Those ties are made with blood and that they are most likely unbreakable, only with death. But you have something different, a genius blond who adores you and would only survive if you got ahead of this," Quentin finally explained. He glanced at Sara, "You also have my family."

Oliver tipped his head in thought. He still wasn't quite sure what Quentin was asking of him. All he knew was that it would be game changing, "Detective…"

"Mr. Queen, I'm here because I can see that you have been trying to do the right thing. I can see that Ms. Smoak is a good person that cares about you and you about her, and she is making you a better man. I'm here because I have a life debt with you for saving my daughter. So I'm giving you the heads up that a storm is coming and that I can help you get ahead of it. Help you when they see what you, not the Bratva, truly are," Quentin finally offered, standing from his chair, "That's all I wanted to say. A lot of people could get hurt and it's your choice whether you want to get ahead of this with my help. Help that would leave you and your own, my own, unscathed."

Oliver was at a loss of words. He had not expected that offer from the man. He could barely stand Oliver and the sentiment was similar. And he felt like this was the right step to repay his life debt for Sara?

Quentin held a hand up, "You're close to the fire Queen. But you don't have to give me an answer now. Talk with Sara. Talk with Felicity. I will find my way out."

With that he turned around and left the office. Sara gave Oliver a look and the Captain nodded. Sara followed after him quickly, "Dad, wait!"

When the door was finally closed Oliver gasped lightly. While he looked cool and collected, the acknowledgement that he played a role for the Bratva had shifted things. To add to that Quentin had offered him help to get ahead of this. To get ahead of the shit storm that was coming.

"Fuck," Oliver whispered, pushing his hands against his eyes, taking deep breathes. Quentin was right, he was too close to the fire, and if he weren't careful he and the people around him would get burned. The Feds were getting close, and he needed to find a way to drive them permanently away from their scent, or he just might find himself in a cell next to China White.

He had to do something. He had to find a way to make sure that he would protect his family. Because while Quentin's words were to the point, yet vague about what he was to do, they rang true. He hadn't been able to knock China White off her perch without help and now he was sure that he would need it again to protect what was his.

Rubbing his hands against his face he stood and made his way slowly back to his room with Felicity. He needed to finish packing for the stress free weekend he had planned for them. He needed to see if Felicity was up.

Most importantly he needed time to think.

* * *

Felicity rolled over in a lazy stretch. She felt a bit cold so she stretched out a hand in search of Oliver. He was like a furnace at night and she'd gotten used to waking up in a tangle of limbs. When she found nothing on the other side of the bed she lifted her head and opened her eyes, "Oliver?"

He appeared at the bathroom entrance, a warm smile on his face and a toothbrush in hand. He felt his conversation with Quentin start to fade at the sight of her, "Morning sleepy head."

Felicity noted his jeans and henley. He was dressed while she was very much naked, "What are you doing up and dressed? No work today?"

She started lifting herself out of bed, bed hair making her look warm and adorable. God help him but he wanted to snuggle back into bed with her. He pointed his toothbrush at her, "No, no work. You and I are going to do something special today."

Huffing she pulled a pillow close to her chest and propped herself on it. "I just started working at QC, Oliver. I already have some cool projects set up. Plus what will my department think?" she said, her voice a bit teasing at the end as she fiddled with the edges of the pillow.

Oliver shrugged, "Nothing. I gave them the day off too. If anything they're grateful."

He disappeared back into the bathroom to finish brushing his teeth. She could help call out, "Perks of loving the boss?"

Oliver responded, even if it was garbled, "Perks of loving the boss!"

She settled back into the pillow and scooped up her cell phone. It was way past the time she should have gotten up. She knew that Oliver had been careful with her because of her mother's appearance paired with that of Cooper's. That included letting her sleep in when her dreams woke her up panting and sweating from a nightmare all of Cooper's making. She pushed down the flush of anger and sadness when she thought of Cooper. She hadn't found him yet.

Closing her eyes for a second she took a deep breath and started looking through her text messages. She only had one message. She blinked at her phone. It was her mother with a simple text of 'Good morning! Hope you have a nice day!' Her fingers fumbled for a second, at a loss of what to say, before she typed out a quick 'Good morning. Thank you. You too.'

It wasn't the most eloquent thing to say but it was a start. Something that they had been doing for a couple days since her return to Las Vegas.

The water shut off and Oliver stepped back into the room. She set the phone down and asked, "So where are we going?"

"We're going on a trip," was his quick response. She really was a balm that soothed over the concerns from earlier.

Felicity raised an eyebrow. She voiced her question as cautiously as possible, "Like Russia?"

He shook his head as he walked over to his side table to collect his phone, "No, not like Russia. Better."

He could see the relief on her face and she knew it, "And I would assume closer if you gave my department the day off and a three day weekend."

He pocketed the phone and started looking through a leather jacket nearby that she hadn't even noticed, "Definitely closer."

Releasing the pillow she sat up with the comforter tucked against her chest, "When are we leaving?"

"15 minutes."

"15 minutes?! That won't be enough time to do," Felicity said while waving at herself with wide eyes, "All of this."

Oliver actually smirked at her as he set the jacket down, "You're right. 15 minutes isn't enough to do you."

Felicity threw her pillow at him and he caught it easily, "You know what I mean."

"I do," Oliver said as he came around the bed and sat down next to her. He deposited the pillow on the bed and gave her a kiss despite her protests of morning breath, "You look beautiful. You always do. It's just going to be you and me on the ride there. John, Sara and Roy are already at the lake house."

She curled her fingers into his shirt and tugged him closer for another kiss, "The lake house?"

"Yeah, thought we needed a break," Oliver reasoned, tucking her hair behind her ears gently. She did look beautiful in the morning. She looked beautiful all the time.

Felicity caught onto the way his eyes looked down for a second like he was hiding something, "A break?"

"Just for the weekend. From all that happened with Cooper. Everything that happened with your mother. Plus it'll be a place for us to talk."

She raised her eyebrows, her interest piqued even more at what he was holding back on, "Talk? That's never the start to a good conversation."

"It's not bad. Just want to talk about some things with...family only there," Oliver hesitantly answered as his hands cupped her face.

He was silently asking her for her trust and she would give it to him. He would tell her when he was ready. And it must be something special if he had to go away for the weekend to get it. She decided to change the subject, "I didn't know you had another house."

He relaxed at her willingness to change the topic, "It was my families. We used to go there a couple times a year. I haven't been there in a while."

"And you want to share that with me?"

Her question was small but intimate; questioning. He kissed her again, "Of course."

She joined his hands on her face and smiled, "Ok. Let's do this. Just give me a couple minutes to pack and then we can head out. Maybe catch breakfast on the road."

Letting go of her face he explained, "We can catch breakfast on the road. As for your clothes...Sara already packed them."

That caught her by surprise. Sara had been the one to teach her…well basically everything about how to dress if you were to be on Oliver's Queens arm and home. As time passed Felicity had gotten used to wearing and enjoying what she wore and Sara had backed off choosing her things, "Everything?"

"Well mostly everything. Clothes, toiletries. Any essentials she's got it. There's enough room on the motorcycle for you to bring a small pack for the things in the side table that you'd like to bring," Oliver said as he leaned over to the side and showed her the pack resting against her nightstand.

Felicity smiled slowly and lovingly at Oliver. He had planned this all perfectly. He knew her. Sara knew her. And this filled her with a warmth she liked, "Thank you."

Oliver returned her smile, kissing her again without even realizing it, "You're welcome." He stood and her eyes followed him as he crossed to the other side of the room and picked up a box from the coffee table.

Her mind finally caught up to what he'd said, "Wait, did you say motorcycle?"

He returned to her, "Yes."

"I've never ridden on a motorcycle."

"Well this will help you keep warm," Oliver said as he laid the box next to her.

Felicity looked up at him with curious eyes but he just edged her on to open it. Slowly her hands lifted the lid away. She paused when she saw what inside. Her eyes watered as a hesitant hand touched the material. It was her jacket. The one that she had been wearing when she came to the Queen Mansion, when she broke in. Like everything else that she had worn that day, it'd been thrown away because it was ruined and smelled awfully bad.

"My jacket. But I...I thought it was thrown away?" she asked in a trembling voice.

Oliver placed a gentle and grounding hand on her shoulder, "Sara didn't throw it away. You know how she is with her jackets."

Felicity let out a watery laugh as she pulled the jacket out of the box and inspected it, "I do know. She fixed it up?"

"Yeah. Apparently, without telling me of course, she couldn't throw it away. Even when she just met you and couldn't stand you," Oliver said, teasing at the end about Sara's obvious dislike of her in the beginning. Felicity laughed and swiped at her eyes, "When I told her about today she sprung this up on me. She fixed it up and replaced whatever was, according to her, 'really smelly.' You can wear it today."

"I know Sara isn't big on the hug thing but I'm going to hug her within an inch of her life when I see her," Felicity admitted as she looked up at him with bright eyes before looking back at the material in her hands. She couldn't stop staring at it.

He squeezed her shoulder, "She'll let you."

A quiet moment passed between them as Felicity fiddled with every inch of her jacket. It felt like a part of her came home. A part that was still alive with Sin, Rory and Chuck. She loved it.

The spell was broken when Oliver picked up the box and gave her hair a gentle kiss. He placed it back on the coffee table, "Times counting down."

Felicity placed the jacket next to her and hesitated about slipping out of bed. She was naked.

He returned to her and saw the hesitation in her eyes. It endeared her to him even more, "It's nothing I haven't seen before."

"I know it's just," Felicity said, making a waving hand in the air as if it explained everything, "I'm naked."

Oliver tugged at the comforter lightly, "It's your home Felicity. Our room. You're safe here."

She huffed a little before nodding. He was right. This was her home. Their room. Where she could prance around naked if she pleased after the man she loved gave her a jacket from her past. It was just she'd never had this with anyone and sometimes things still caught her by surprise. Loosening her grip on the comforter she let it slip as she moved out of the bed. When her feet were planted on the ground and she was standing in front of Oliver she couldn't help but preen at the obvious lust in his eyes.

"Like what you see?" she asked, looking up at him with the corners of her mouth ticking up.

"None of that," he said, his ears turning a bit red as he stepped towards her to give her a bruising kiss. His hand came down and gripped her bottom, fingers digging into her flesh before he smacked it lightly, "Shower. Go."

Felicity grinned as he stepped away from her and crossed the room again, trying to put distance between them so they could get on the road. When she turned and padded over to the bathroom Felicity could feel his fiery stare follow her all the way.

* * *

Felicity couldn't put into words how much she loved the motorcycle ride with Oliver. To feel the wind blowing against them, his body pressed back into hers, her thighs bracketing his, the motor rumbling below them. The trees danced around them the entire ride and the sun in combination with their jackets kept them toasty warm. It was a wonder that she didn't fall asleep. Instead she held on tightly to his waist as they sped down the road, her eyes cataloguing the beauty around them. It was astounding.

Oliver loved every second of it as well. He always rode alone, enjoying the solitude and the silence of the ride. It was a moment that he appreciated to put his mind at rest, to have some freedom from all the weight of his life. He never felt more at peace then when he was riding his bike. But that was before Felicity came to his life. To take her with him was something that he had desired for a long time, and nothing felt better than to feel her arms wrapped around him while he drove them away from Starling City. He was sharing something he had shared with no other.

The ride from Starling City to the lake house took around two hours including the time they spent grabbing breakfast. It seemed like almost no time had passed as they enjoyed the curving roads and the changing green scenery around them. Oliver knew that they were close when the smell of pine hit him. He was coming home.

The lake house that used to belong to his parents had been one of his favourite places to visit when he was a kid. They would go there every summer, spend countless hours swimming up the lake, laying down in the sun, and just enjoying each others company. It was where his father taught him how to fish and where Robert shared his love of archery with him. One of his most fond memories of his little sister Thea was when she had finally learned how to swim. They had spent hours riding huge floats down the lake. Being at the lake house also meant that his father would stop everything and just play with Oliver and Thea until they practically passed out. His mother would watch on, amused for a bit, until they came back and her eyes would turn scolding that they didn't apply sunblock once more. Eventually that would turn to her rolling her eyes when her father apologized by bringing the biggest fish he'd caught for dinner.

Those were his favourite memories, when his life was simple.

The lake house was a getaway for the Queens and a place that remained untainted. Untouched by the darkness that Anatoly and the Bratva brought to his life. After his family's death, the house had remained closed, and Oliver never had the guts to go to it alone. Too many memories were attached to the place and he simply couldn't face it alone. Today, was the first time in twenty years that he was going to walk inside that house.

And he wasn't as scared as he thought he would be. He hadn't told Felicity that last little tid-bit because it felt normal to do things like this with her. To let her in without even realizing that all his barriers against her were down.

They rode for another twenty minutes when the road narrowed and turned into a path covered in these small familiar bricks. Oliver slowed down the bike a bit. They rode up the path in the middle of the closed pine forest, for a couple minutes until they cleared it and emerged in a wide-open space where the lake house rested.

Oliver could feel Felicity's arms loosen around him as she pulled back to look at the house…no wait…mansion that lay smack dab in the forest and next to a lake.

The lake house was a 6,800 square wooden house nestled next to a massive lakefront. It was enormous and elegant and yet, it had a homey feeling that Oliver always appreciated. And even thought he hadn't been there in ages he remembered what it looked like inside.

The main level was open and welcoming. It had a large kitchen, dining area, sitting areas, and grand room with a large stone fireplace. The second floor had the guest suites, the billiard room and an intimate library with a hidden entrance to a wine and corking room. And finally the upper floor. It was dedicated to the master suite with its own meticulously detailed balcony, bathroom and fireplace. The lake house also had large windows all over the house, providing a gorgeous view of the lake and a lot of natural lighting. A long porch rounded the house, along with a deck, outdoor fireplace, and access to a dock on the lake.

To Oliver, it was the home that he had been missing. A home that he would now be Felicity's as well.

Oliver stopped the bike in front of the house next to two cars, before turning off the engine and removing his helmet with practiced ease. The front door opened not even a minute after, Diggle, Roy, and Sara pouring out of the house and waiting for them on the steps.

"Finally," Diggle said, watching as Oliver climbed off the bike, "I was starting to think I would have to send the rescue team after the two of you. It's been over two hours."

"Funny," Oliver said, holding out his hands for Felicity's helmet, "Over two hours? Well I did take Felicity down the scenic route."

"Forget the scenic route. I can't feel my legs," Felicity groaned, removing her helmet and passing it on before trying to swing off the bike and stay on her feet, "Why can't I feel my legs?"

"Careful," Oliver said, trying to help Felicity steady herself, wide hands around her hips, "It was a long ride."

"I'm really trying to hold back my brain from saying 'that's what she said'," Felicity said, after all she was the Queen of rambling sexual comments. She smiled when she heard John snort from the stairs. It was always hardest to pull a smile out to the man, "But you're making it really hard for me."

This time John did laugh, all eyes turning to him in surprise for a second.

"You're cute," Oliver said when he turned to her; softly pecking her on the lips before slipping off the pack she'd been holding. Tucking her into his side they made their way towards the others.

"We were thinking you two got lost," Sara said with a sneaky grin as she leaned against the rail, "The scenic route doesn't take that long."

Roy decided to jump on the teasing bandwagon. "Or maybe they decided to stop and enjoy the view," Roy said with a smirk, the innuendo not lost to them. Felicity rolled her eyes at him and Sara laughed.

"We were enjoying our time," Oliver explained, "Plus stopped for breakfast."

"Clearly," Digg said with a smirk, making Oliver roll his eyes at him as well. They were already different here. More open and less Bratva Captain and his insubordinates. They were family here. Teasing, annoying family.

When they reached the steps John came down and grabbed their helmets, ushering them up the stairs. Felicity finally seemed to realize how big the house was.

"God, this is amazing," Felicity said, looking around the large porch and then when they entered, the large expansive entrance. She bet every dollar and cent to her name that somewhere in this house there was an animal head mounted on the wall, "When you said we were going to your family's lake house I was expecting a cabin. Not Queen Manor 'into the wild' version."

"What can I say, my folks liked big houses," Oliver said with a shrug as guided her around the main floor. There were so many places that he wanted to show, secrets and memories he wanted to share, "Now come on, I want to show you our place."

The 'our' wasn't lost on anyone.

* * *

They spent the rest of the day enjoying the woods and the lake. Oliver took Felicity on a small hike after a quick lunch, showing her, his and Thea's favourite hiding spots when they wanted to get away from their parents. He told her tales about his childhood all around the land while Sara and Roy relaxed by the dock, first swimming and them betting who would catch the biggest fish. Diggle took a jog around the houses entire perimeter and then sat back to enjoy a beer on the dock while watching Sara school Roy on how to properly fish.

After their hike, Oliver and Felicity moved to the large sitting place on the porch, enjoying each other's company while their friends enjoyed their day off. After some cuddling and enjoying the sun, they moved down to the lake with the others. Felicity even tried her hand at fishing before pushing Roy into the water when he made too many innuendos using the words 'ride' and 'hard' in combination with the word 'pole'. They had no care in the world besides good company, peace, and moments of comfortable silence with people they loved and cared about. A family.

Oliver remained mum about what Quentin had told him and Sara, and while Felicity didn't want to push him, she was curious. That curiosity was pushed to the side when she saw how something was shifting in Oliver. She could feel it in the way he touched her, the way he told her tales about his family in the lake house, in how his eyes seemed to shine in this place.

This was Oliver Queen. Not The Crow. Not the Pakhan's Heir. This calm and relaxed man right here who helped her out with pointers on how to cast and beat Roy in catching fish…this was Oliver Queen.

Later that night Diggle was the one to cook them dinner, making the two fish that Sara and Roy brought with them since Felicity didn't really have much luck. While Roy seemed displeased that Sara's fish was bigger than his was, he swore a rematch the next day. Something that Oliver was sure wasn't going to go well since Sara and Detective Lance enjoyed their occasional fishing trip from time to time. But he wasn't going to tell Roy that, no, Oliver would enjoy seeing him struggling with the challenge. The boy ego's needed some ass kicking.

Dinner was a calm affair. They enjoyed the delicious meal, had light conversation that had absolutely nothing to do with the Bratva or the Triad. They just enjoyed each other's company and talked about things they'd like to do tomorrow. Things they'd like to see.

When dinner was done Felicity suggested roasting marshmallows at the outdoor fireplace/fire pit. Everyone readily agreed when Sara started explaining the proper way to roast a marshmallow so the chocolate melted into a sticky sweetness combo. The ingredients were grabbed quickly and they settled in around the fire pit, roasting marshmallows with some wine that Sara had brought out.

Oliver stood with his arms draped around Felicity while she and Roy tried to roast the perfect marshmallow. Diggle had a content look on his face, and Sara who didn't drink, laughed at Roy and Felicity who tried to find the perfect melting point without burning everything. Which lead to Felicity rambling about how she always wanted to go camping when she was a kid, to sleep in a tent out in the woods, to roast her marshmallows by the fire, but that the Las Vegas desert wasn't an option for a child. She had to content herself with doing it with the kitchen stove, which drove her mother mad and ruined the whole experience of roasting marshmallows.

Before they knew it Roy was sharing. He never shared.

"I just loved doing this. It's actually the only good memory I have from my mom before she went to jail," Roy said with a shrug, popping a piece of chocolate into his mouth and eating it. "I remember when I was a kid, we actually ate roasted marshmallows for almost a week. We lived in a trailer in a corner of the Glades, and we didn't have heat or much money. And I remember that it was so cold in the winter…that she used a trashcan to make a fire for us. She taught me how to roast marshmallows. I did get sick of eating that much candy of course, but it was a perfect moment you know. Just me and my mom," Roy said looking lost in the moment for a second.

He never talked about his family. His father had died when he was a baby and his mom had been arrested for drug trafficking when he was 8 years old. He had been in and out of foster care for a while and when he was 14 he had ran away. He was 17 when Oliver found him trying to pickpocket him, and took him under his wing. Oliver had been the reason why he wasn't in prison like his mother. He gave him purpose, a roof and a family. Yet, he never felt comfortable enough to share those moments before. Not because he didn't trust his new family, but because he didn't want to add more pain to the collective group of shattered souls that they were. They all had lost something along the way and Oliver had been the one to put them all back together.

"It's a nice memory, Roy," Felicity said with a small smile, understanding how much it hurt Roy to talk about his past. She personally knew this.

"Yeah, they couldn't be all bad. Could they?" he said sadly, looking away from her and focusing on stacking a smores tower.

"If you keep this up I will have to hug you, Roy. And I know how much you hate when I give you my bear hugs," Sara teased, hoping that it would make Roy cheer up. She hated to see the haunted look on his eyes.

"You stay away, Lance," Roy said, throwing a marshmallow at her as the shadow of his past faded from his eyes and cleared the air, "Leave your soul crushing hugs to your girlfriend."

Sara puffed up as if very proud, "Nyssa happens to love my bear hugs."

"I wonder why," Roy singsonged with a raised eyebrow, his smile filled with innuendo. Sara went to untangle herself from her blanket, with plans of smearing his hair with gooey marshmallow when Diggle tugged her back.

"Children, behave," he said, holding the back of her blanket, "Do I need to give the two of you a time out?"

"No, dad," Roy and Sara said in unison.

Diggle scowled, "It's like you two are the evil twins of this family." Neither denied it.

"Who wants more wine?" Felicity asked, pouring more of the velvety drink into her glass as Oliver prepared another smores for her with sure and nimble fingers. Turns out she wasn't as good at it as she thought she would be.

Roy and Diggle raised their glasses and they continued on talking and teasing each other as night fell around them. All the while Oliver kept an eye on them. They were his family, and no matter how much family liked to annoy each other they'd protect each other with all their might. Even from things like the Triad and Bratva. Even from the sins of The Crow. The realization that they might get hurt because of him, made Oliver snap out of the revelry. He needed to tell them what was going on in his mind. In his thoughts. He needed to do it now.

"I need to tell you all something," Oliver began, putting his wine down and coming to stand in front of them. The laughter died down at his serious tone.

"What is it, Oliver?" Felicity quietly asked him. She hoped that he was finally going to reveal what he'd been holding back all day.

"I received a visit from Detective Lance this morning."

It was like the air was sucked right out of Felicity's lungs. It could be good news. It could be bad news, "What?! What did he want?"

"I imagine it had to do with the intel we gave him," Diggle said seriously, crossing his arms as they all settled in for Oliver's explanation.

Oliver nodded, "Lance decided to inform me that the Feds are all over the case. All over the information we gave them. They found connections between Lao and Henriksen, and they are really close to putting all of them behind bars. They will need some more digging to get to the Amex group, but they will get there. And soon."

"That's…that's great news, Oliver," Felicity said with a slightly tight smile. It seemed like there planned had worked. But there was something in Oliver's eyes that made her second-guess if it was good news at all, "Right?"

"It is great news," Oliver said, while he and Sara exchanged a silent look, "But Lance also told me that the Feds have decided to look into things connected with the Triad. For example the Italians and the Bratva."

"What?" Felicity whispered, shocked.

"My dad decided to give Oliver a warning," Sara supplied, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself and looking at the fire, "That means that we are all at risk to being exposed if they decide to look deeper into those connections. If the Bratva falls, so do we."

"Especially if China White decides to talk," Felicity said, fully understanding why Oliver seemed so troubled, "Oliver, what are we going to do?"

"We're here to discuss our options," Oliver said, reaching out to hold her hand.

"Options?" Diggle asked him, confused, "What options?"

"You once asked me what were my plans for the future Dig. If I could picture a life outside of the Bratva. And for the first time in my life I can really picture it. This is one option."

"Oliver, no one leaves the brotherhood. That is the code. We all knew that when we joined it," Roy said, the weight on his words clear. They'd die.

"I know what the code is, Roy," Oliver hissed lowly, "Anatoly would never let me leave. I know that. He'd rather see me dead than to lose me as his heir."

"Then what are you trying to say?" Roy asked him. "That you expect us to let you commit suicide so we can get away from the Bratva?" Roy fumed. If Oliver thought that they would accept that, he was fucking wrong.

"If the Feds get too close to our operations, we are all going to be compromised. So far Felicity and Sara are the ones that are the safest. They both have alibis for being that close to me. But the two of you may be charged as being members of the Bratva. To pay the same price that I might pay," Oliver explained, feeling Felicity's grip tighten in worry. "And I know that I was the one that brought you all into this. I was the one that asked Digg to help me with my crusade. I was the one that opened the brotherhood for you and Sara," Oliver said looking at Roy, "I can't ask for all of you to stay in the middle of this mess." He turned to Felicity at the end, who seemed to be paler with each second.

"Oliver!" Felicity said holding tight to him and hating the way that this conversation was turning. He was contemplating doing this alone and she could see it. "We're in this together. We're partners remember? Together until the end."

"I won't let you all pay for my crimes. For the Bratva's crimes. I won't ask for you all to give up your lives for me," Oliver argued, looking down at their joined hands. He wouldn't allow for them to suffer when he was the one that was guilty. He was the one that had to find a way to get out of this mess.

"You're not asking us, Oliver. You are my Captain. Our Captain. You are the one that we chose to follow. Not the Bratva," Sara whispered, and for the first time in years, Oliver could see she was almost breaking down into tears, "I will stick with whatever decision you make. But don't ask me to leave all of you behind. Because I won't."

"Sara's right. We're in this together, man," Diggle said, standing and patting Oliver's shoulder, "A soldier never leaves another brother behind."

"We're family," Roy said, coming to stand by his other side and trying to hide the mix of emotions running inside of him from anger to desperation, "And family sticks together, for better or for worse."

"See? Can't get rid of us. Your problems are ours and you'll just have to deal with all of us, Captain," Felicity finalized with a curt nod of her head, "No more talk about you doing this alone."

Oliver felt overwhelmed. These five people, along with Raisa, were all he had left in this world and he loved them. And they'd just promised not to part from him. They would stick with him and decide on what to do to get them out safe.

"Ok," Oliver said to them, taking a moment to gather his thoughts and using them as his guide, "Looks like we're doing this together. And we can't wait for the Feds or Anatoly to decide to do something about all this. It's a lot at stake. So we have a couple options. One being relocating to Moscow where we wouldn't be touched by the police." Oliver hated even having to consider this possibility. The idea of having to live under the same roof as Anatoly once again made him sick to his stomach. And by the look on Felicity's face it made her sick too.

"Or?" Felicity asked, her eyes filled with worry. There had to be other options.

"Or we find a way to leave the brotherhood. To protect ourselves from Anatoly and the Bratva. To have a life outside of all of that. To start over again," Oliver said, throwing the craziest option out there. Felicity turned her hand in his, locking fingers, "It won't be easy. We will have to disappear, to become someone else. Leave our entire lives behind. Maybe even fake our own deaths."

There was a moment of silence.

"Oliver, you know that Anatoly won't believe you're dead," Diggle said, not knowing what else to say.

"Then maybe we should find a way to get rid of Anatoly," Roy suggested quietly. It felt wrong just even saying the words out loud because it was a crazy idea.

"You want to kill the Pakhan?" Sara asked incredulously, "That would only serve to put a target on the back of all of our heads for the rest of our lives."

"Sara's right. To kill the leader of the brotherhood is the biggest treason that someone could commit against the Bratva," Oliver said, sitting down with Felicity. She pressed into his side, "They would hunt us down and make us beg to die. To honour his death. Trust me, we don't want to turn Anatoly into a martyr."

"Then what are we going to do, Oliver?" Felicity asked him, her voice filled with apprehension. Quentin had given them fair warning but they would have to figure out what to do with that warning.

"There is another option. One that I never considered before. But I guess that extreme situations ask for extreme measures," Oliver said, running a hand down his tired face. He'd thought about it but only briefly on the ride to the lake house.

"What is it?" Diggle asked him.

"We could try to cut a deal," Oliver said, as they all stared at him.

"A deal? With the feds?" Roy asked, shocked, "You want to rat?"

Oliver kept his eyes hard, "Yes, Roy. A deal with the FBI, the DEA, INTERPOL, or whomever wants to make a deal with us that gives us immunity."

"And you think the feds would give you a deal just like that?" Diggle asked, still stunned, and needing to take a seat, "Oliver, you're not just a Bratva Captain. You're The Crow, the heir of the Pakhan. There must be a price over your head. They won't give you a deal, they will put you behind bars."

"They will if you lie," Felicity piped up, mind racing as she grabbed onto the idea presented. All eyes turned to her and she cleared her throat, "Quentin's giving you a chance to get ahead of this storm. The Feds don't know much about us. And they'll believe what is told if we get there first and present them with convenient facts that work for them and work for us."

"Are we really thinking about doing this?" Sara asked, "I mean…I've got your back. We've all got your back. But talking to them is big. We'd have to be careful."

"There might not be any other way," Oliver whispered, running his thumb over Felicity's hand, taking all the comfort that she provided, "If we give them a version of the story that we concoct we can avoid me spending the rest of my life in prison. Felicity's right."

"Oliver…" Sara started to say, but Oliver stopped her.

"We're not certain of anything yet. We may have some time before I have to make this decision. But we have the whole weekend to talk about it," Oliver promised.

"And try to come up with a cover story together?" John asked as he poured himself another glass of wine. It was needed at the moment.

Oliver nodded, something easing off his chest at having this conversation turn to a possibility that could work, "We can come up with something. Something from us that could work. For now let's just put it to the side. Let's enjoy the night because…"

"It won't be easy. If the Bratva finds out that we've gotten warning before hand and that we've ratted them out, they'll kill us," Felicity finished for him. Oliver scooted back in his seat and Felicity sunk into him as her eyes scanned the faces of her friends, "We're going to make sure it doesn't come to that. It's about all of us now." She patted Oliver's chest, a fierce protectiveness coming over her, "We need to protect this one here from doing something stupid. Even if he thinks the decision is his in the end. Deal?"

Oliver didn't protest when they nodded and agreed. If there were a group of people that he wanted by his side, for better or for worse, it would be these people here.

"Deal."

* * *

After dinner and their talk around the fire pit Roy stayed with Felicity to clean up while Oliver, Sara and John did a quick perimeter check. When that was done they said their quick goodnights, which consisted of John, Sara, and Roy giving Oliver and Felicity assuring hugs and pats on their shoulder.

No one spoke of the smile that bloomed on Oliver's face. They all had his back.

When the door was firmly closed behind them Felicity stepped into his space and backed him into the bedroom door, "So that's what you've been holding out on me all day?"

"What?" Oliver asked in honest confusion, hands hanging low on her waist.

Felicity gently poked him in the chest, "You, all day, have been holding something back from me. I held off because eventually you will tell me. And I'm glad I did. What happened out there…I know what it means to you."

"And that is?"

"You have their support. Whatever you ultimately decide on doing with...the Bratva. With The Crow. With Quentin," she explained, "They'll support you. Not that they didn't before but this is different. 'You' are doing something different. A different step with us helping you."

"Yeah...we are," Oliver corrected, "We."

Felicity grinned at him before hesitantly asking, "So are you really really considering this?" He raised an eyebrow. She barrelled on, "I'm just asking because we've talked about our happy ending and a part of me always knew that the Bratva would be involved in it. Sure I dabbled in the thought but not like this and..."

Oliver stopped her mid word, hands sliding up to pull her closer to him, "We've got options. Talking to the Feds or anyone that Quentin could get his hands on, federal agencies and such, could be the right step. And if we figure out the right thing to say, the way to spin it. I think we should consider it."

Felicity could see his hesitance, his fear at stepping away from all that he knew. She was proud of him but wanted to make sure he knew something. Something that she had been thinking about ever since he revealed his conversation with Quentin, "You know you don't have to do this for me," Felicity said and his eyes shot up to hers, searching, "We're taking down the enemy of my enemy. And to me it's enough. It's what we agreed on. For Sin, Rory and Chuck. For Robert, Moira, and Thea."

Sadness filled his eyes at the reciting of their names and she held onto him. Anchored him as she continued to speak.

"What I'm trying to say is that I would stay with you if you decided to stay with the Bratva and that we needed to run off to Russia. I'm not leaving you," she said with all the power and love in her voice that she could muster, hoping that he understood and took in every single word.

What she didn't realize is that her words gave Oliver the extra boost he needed. This was right. He swooped down and gave her a dazing kiss, the corners of his mouth hinting at the smile that wanted to burst through, "That right there is why I know this is the right step."

Felicity didn't hold back her beaming smile. Those were the right words, "We're going to do this together."

He opened his mouth to argue again, or at least try, that Bratva was his burden to carry and that he didn't want to throw her anymore into the line of fire than she already had when she turned in that information to Quentin. But Felicity gave him a look that clearly said she wasn't backing down. She loved him and she would fight for him.

He settled on, "And I love you all the more for saying that."

What they felt flow between them was a sense of clarity and acceptance.

Felicity's answering reply was to lift up and slant her mouth across his. Oliver pushed off the door with a pleased sound. His hands came down and cupped her bottom, coaxing her to wrap her legs around him. It was quick work depositing her on the bed, his warm body above her, mouth locked into place with hers.

He pulled away with a gasp. She had a way about her that with a simple touch flicked a switch inside of him. He tugged her bottom lip with his teeth and watched as her eyes widened, that switch flicking on inside of her too. When he let it go he soothed the skin with his tongue.

Shifting up he ignored his aching cock and stared down at Felicity, "I love you."

Her eyes never left his as he took off his shirt and threw it to the side. She just continued watching him as her slowly unbuttoned her shirt and drank her in, "I love you too."

Felicity thought that he was going to strip her first before they got to the main course. She was half way right. Oliver stopped when her breasts were exposed and shimmied down her body, mouth leaving a trail of scorching kisses down her stomach as he took off her pants. Her panties followed right after, this time slower as Oliver couldn't stop his fingers from wandering across her goosebumps covered skin.

He caught the way she swallowed in anticipation when settled between her legs. His hands looked huge as they grasped her inner thighs and opened her to him. And all the while, his eyes were still locked with hers.

"My turn," was the only thing he said to her. It was the only way that he could explain what was about to happen. She could do whatever she wanted to him later, but for now he would take care of her.

She only got a nod in before he stretched her legs even more open and placed his mouth on her slick mound. It was gentle at first. Warm open-mouthed kisses. Teasing little bites. Things that set her skin on fire and made her shift in place. But all the while it was just teasing. Not really delving inside of her and giving her what they both knew she wanted. They finally broke eye contact when his tongue grazed between her folds, leaving a hot trail behind, as she keened.

When he caught a taste of her in his mouth he groaned, the vibrations making her shudder. Oliver loved the way that she tasted and he threw himself into making her shake in his hands.

He moved his mouth side-to-side, nudging inside her and pulling her lips open so he could have what was hidden there. His tongue grazed her clit lightly and her hips jumped in his hold. He did it again. Pressing on that little button that made her heart beat faster and made her even more wet. He shifted impossibly close to her, grinding his hips down into the mattress as he sought out pleasure for both of them.

"Oliver," Felicity moaned. She was watching him with hooded eyes as he lapped at her. Warm tongue running over her clit before moving down into her. Tongue teasing inside of her. Fucking her with just the tip before moving back up to give her clit the attention that it desperately needed.

He hadn't told her that she couldn't move but her hands still surprised him when they rested on the back of his head. She panted as she ran her fingers over the short hair there. She hesitated for a moment before using her hold to press him down deeper into her, to urge him to keep on going. He went with it, meeting her small thrusts into his mouth.

"Oh god. Right there!" Felicity groaned when he thrust his tongue back inside her, making her body tighten in remarkable pleasure as she circled her hips against his mouth. Oliver just delved deeper into her and threw her body into an orgasm that bowled over her without warning.

Turning her head she pressed it into the pillow and groaned, "Fuck!" Her stomach contracted and her thighs would have locked in on Oliver's head if it weren't that his grip was sure and strong. Releasing his head she thought that he would pull up. But he didn't. He took care of her, tongue setting a leisurely pace, as he tasted the aftershocks of her orgasm.

It was probably the hottest thing she'd ever seen and she wanted to repay the favour. Until then she just watched as he pleasured her, his hips moving in small circles as he thrust into the mattress.

When he finally pulled away from her she sat up and pulled his smug looking face, at the sight of her, closer for a kiss. She could taste herself on his tongue but it didn't deter her, "My turn."

Oliver yelped in surprise as Felicity used her hold to position him onto his back next to her. Her hands made fast work of his pants just like he'd done to her. And all the while they kept eye contact. It was sweet relief when she finally released him from his boxer briefs, cock hard and bobbing in front of her.

She gave the head a tentative lick and Oliver's eyes rolled back into his head. When he looked back at her she was grinning. This was his payback for what he'd done to her. And he'd take it. He'd take anything she gave him as long as she did what she was doing right now again; hot mouth finally wrapping around him and cock disappearing into her mouth.

Oliver was pretty sure that if he kept his eyes on Felicity for any longer he wasn't going to be able to hold out long enough to enjoy this. Her face was flushed pink, eyes shining bright as she looked up at him from her position between his legs. She hummed and he closed his eyes in pleasure when she reached the base of his cock. She looked obscene like this; lips wrapped around his cock. He eased his hips back a little and thrust up into her mouth when she slid up and almost off of him, mouth only on the head.

"Felicity!"

She took him completely into her mouth once more and he could feel the back of her throat flutter around the head of him. He keened.

"Fuck, Felicity your mouth," he panted, eyes fluttered closed for a second.

Felicity placed her hands on his hips and pressed down, nails digging into his skin. She pulled off his cock with a gasp and tightened her hold. She looked debauched, mouth swollen and open as she tried to catch her breath where she kneeled between his legs.

"It's my turn Oliver. Don't move," Felicity commanded. She gave the underside of his cock a long lick, "Understand?" Her voice was soothing but direct. If Oliver moved his hips up or tried to take control away from her she'd pull away. She'd leave him hard and wanting.

Honest to god this was the most he'd ever been turned on in his life. Giving away some of the control like this. To her.

Oliver swallowed and nodded. Felicity raised an eyebrow. He hadn't said anything. "Yes. No moving. No talking. Nothing," he said, both noting the desperation in his voice. He didn't take it back. He was desperate to have her in his mouth.

She inched her mouth closer to his cock and his mouth went dry when she stopped short of touching him. She grinned, her heart pounding in her chest at being able to do this to him, "Going to be good for me?"

He shifted in want at her using his words against him. The words he'd used when he made her come with his mouth on his breast and his fingers inside of her. He loved when she turned the game around on him, "Yes."

She surprised him by suckling on the head with closed eyes. Her tongue came out and circled him, swiping the precum accumulating at the head with the tip of her tongue. Felicity lapped around the head of his cock for a moment more before she took him in her mouth again.

She set a pace.

It felt like she took him in deeper each and every time she went down on him. His skin felt heated and his thighs were edged a bit more open by Felicity to accommodate her body. Oliver groaned and she became more confident, sinful mouth going at him with a passion. She wanted to make him come as much as he did. Wanted to make him lose control.

He relaxed back into the bed when his cockhead hit the back of her throat repeatedly. She was swallowing him whole. Making him feel things that only she could; curling pleasure that started low in his stomach and spread out to the tips of his toes and fingertips. Everything felt like it was sparking the longer she pulled back and fell on his cock.

She hummed once more and he struggled to hold his position, a whimper leaving his throat that she went after. When her tongue whirled around his cock as she dragged her mouth up him, Oliver lost it.

She looked up at him through her lashes, eyes dark and smug as he pulsed into her hot mouth.

Oliver legs shook a little when he realised that Felicity wasn't pulling off of him. She was swallowing his come down. He felt his mind short circuit and his eyes roll back into his head when she sucked on the head, swallowing the last bit of his come.

He couldn't move.

She'd broken him.

Oliver melted back into the bed, sated and happy when she released him from her mouth. He kept his eyes closed as her panting little mouth kissed up the side of his groin, trailing up his chest until they latched onto his neck.

It thrilled her to have him willing and broken underneath her like he'd done to her. Felicity gave a couple lazy sucks to his neck before Oliver came back to his senses.

He wrapped his arms around her and muttered, "I think you broke me."

She chuckled against his neck. Her breath rolled over his skin and he shivered, hips flexing a little with aftershocks, "I broke you?"

He could hear the smugness in her voice and kissed her hair, "Yes. Broke me. I don't think I can move. This is probably worse than the time I came in my pants. You're going to have to take over QC now."

Neither brought up how he only mentioned QC. Not the Bratva or Oliver's roll as The Crow. Just his family's company.

Felicity shook with laughter as she settled her tired body against him, arms loosely draping themselves over his shoulders, "Nope. I'd grab Walter and stop him from leaving. Running QC is a big job."

Oliver chuckled, this easy joking and teasing between them was comforting. He ran his hands down her back and came up to rest underneath her shirt where her skin was warm and damp, "You could do it."

"Never without you," she yawned against his neck and hummed. She could feel the day and its relaxing excitement pull at her. She hadn't thought of any of her troubles all day, "I had a good day today."

The thought of her being with him years down the line made him hum with happiness. Not opening his eyes he blindly searched for the blankets and threw them over them, "Me too. Falling asleep on me Smoak?"

The slow and even breath against his neck was answer enough. He smiled and didn't dare move an inch in fear of waking her up. She'd never fallen asleep so fast and he was glad that she had a good day.

A hand left her back to lovingly stroke her hair.

He thought of Quentin's words from earlier. The things that he'd hinted at it. He also thought of the words exchanged by the fire pit. The brilliance that was Felicity and the idea that they had come up with. For her, for this, for the light she brought into his life. He'd take whatever deal that Quentin was hinting at. He'd talk to whoever was needed to protect this right here.

Weeks before he'd been afraid to admit that his life could be more than Bratva. Afraid of what he'd be left with. What kind of person he'd be without the anger and coldness of The Crow. But here in his arms and in other bedrooms around the lake house, was the reason to fight. To live. For his family.

Oliver nuzzled Felicity's hair. He'd promised himself and her that he'd never let her go. Not now. Not ever. So tomorrow morning they would sit down and talk about this. He was going to call Quentin.

For his family. For his love.

* * *

_A Couple Days Before_

* * *

When his eyes had finally fluttered open his mind was still a jumble. He couldn't remember where he was. Or how he'd gotten there. And when his mind finally connected the dots...Felicity...the betrayal...and China White, his body jolted up to see that he was tied to a chair.

He started jerking at his tied down arms and legs and something flat and hard slapped him sharply on the knee.

"Stop struggling," China White commanded, jabbing his knee slightly with what he now knew was a knife. She was sitting in front of him. Meer inches separating their knees.

Cooper's breath hitched and she didn't turn her eyes away. She locked onto him as if daring him to do or say anything that would piss her off like pushing her away again. He couldn't now.

China White straightened in her chair, "Now you and me are going to have a talk. Well you're going to talk. You're going to tell me why you left? Why you came back? And if I like your answer I might stop myself..."

"From killing me?" he finished. There was no way he was going to escape his bonds unless she cut him out of them.

Her eyes brightened and she slapped the flat of her knife against his knee again to make him jump, "Exactly. From killing you. Now...explain. Was it you that was messing around with my system Cooper? Again?"

Cooper shook his head, "No it wasn't me. It was..." He hesitated for a moment and China White dug into his thigh with the tip of her knife this time. He gritted his teeth at the sting of the tip cutting into him and knew that this was Felicity's fault too. She shouldn't have betrayed him, "It was Felicity Smoak!"

She pulled the knife out and tilted her head in contemplation, "Felicity Smoak? Your Raider partner?"

She raised the knife in warning and he felt the words spill out of him in a flood, "Yes! She's alive! She's alive and she was the one who has been messing around with your system, stealing things and being a general pest like she's always been."

Now that right there was interesting. She'd been searching for that woman that escaped her for months. And short of cutting off Cooper's very important fingers, he hadn't spoken a word about her. Now he was giving her up like nothing? Something had happened, "I thought she was your partner?"

Cooper's eyes flared with anger and he jerked towards her, only to be stopped by the ropes, "She's not my partner anymore. She betrayed me. Betrayed everything we were for something so stupid!"

China White inched a little forward, pulling on the line of anger that Cooper was exposing, "Last time I saw that little black haired girl you protected her. Told her to run. What changed your mind Cooper?"

"You asked me to look into the accounts of specific people that you thought were betraying you. I saw her there. She's different now, blonde. And I came for her. I came to save her. But she didn't need saving. She had already betrayed us!" Cooper said almost hysterically.

"And you returned because of this?"

"I returned to give her a taste of her own medicine," he spit out.

China White grinned. She had not been expecting the loathing in Cooper's voice after he had protected the girl, taken bullets for her. She'd really done a number on him, "Oh is that so?"

"Yes," he gritted out through clenched teeth, "She needs it."

"And how were you planning on doing that? How did she betray you?"

"I came back. That's how I was going to give her a taste of her own medicine. Teach her what it is to betray someone like that. Teach her what her lies and choices have done."

"How did she betray you?" China White repeated. Cooper was mad and was practically foaming at the mouth. He didn't even know that he was safer on the run. He shouldn't have come back.

Cooper bit his lip and held onto his words. He needed guarantees first, "I'll tell you if you promise my safety."

"Your safety?" China White scoffed, raising a perfect eyebrow, "If you were looking for that you wouldn't have returned. You would have scampered off never to return."

"This information is worth it," Cooper insisted, "She wasn't working alone when I found her. She was working against you with someone big."

China White eyed him for a moment before nodding, "Fine. You tell me who it is and I'll help you get your little revenge. Then I take care of you."

A sliver of relief overcame his anger, "You will set me free?"

She waved her hand in dismissal and urged him on, "Yes. You'll be free."

Cooper sighed before spilling everything in one fail swoop, "Felicity Smoak is working with Oliver Queen." He kept on going even though China White sucked in a sharp breath, "The head of Bratva here in the US is working against you with a former Raider, a former partner of mine. I went to find her today. Save her from this. And she told me they were working together. And here's the kicker!" He felt all the anger from before reignite in him.

China White clenched her hand around the knife with every word that she heard, "Yes?"

"She's in love with him!" Cooper spit out bitterly, "She betrayed us for the Bratva! The people that we worked against because she's in love! And she wanted me to come with her. Said that Queen was different. That he wasn't manipulating her. Bullshit. I call bullshit!"

China White tapped her knife against her hand in a growing rhythm. The news coming from Cooper was a surprise but not a very big one. She had been waiting for this moment for years. She knew that Oliver Queen would finally come back to bite her in the ass and her family should've taken care of the last Queen when they had the chance. They would have avoided this trouble. And if she didn't nip this in the bud he would do more than just make her lose shipments and have the Feds nipping at her heels.

That wasn't going to happen. Not anymore.

"And that's all you found out?" she asked.

Cooper nodded, eyes still burning with irritation and fury, "YES! Now untie me. We can find them easily. Take them down. Look into their accounts and try to rip holes in them like they've tried to do with us. Take their world and turn it about!"

She eyed him for a second, contemplating what she was going to do. If she was going to keep him. He'd given her the information needed and it was up to her what to do with it. The longer that she held silent the angrier Cooper became, pulling at his bonds like a dog and demanding that she untie him. That was enough to make her decision.

She scooted forward until she was sitting on the edge of the chair in front of him, "You have been very helpful Cooper. But unfortunately for you…I don't require your services anymore."

Cooper eyes widened, mind catching up with what were her words meant. But not quick enough. With a viciousness that she most certainly used on Chuck, Rory and Sin, China White ended Cooper's life with the slip of a knife between his ribs and into his heart.

China White stepped back and watched as Cooper's gasped for life for only a second before his body slumped, a surprised expression still on his face. Things were not going as planned. This boy in front of her was supposed to plug in a vulnerability that they had in their system. Vulnerability that Cooper and his 'Raiders' had exposed. And it wasn't going anywhere near what they had planned. If anything the 'Raiders' had made it worse.

"I should of left you and went after her," she growled out to the dead Cooper. Leaving his body behind she called out for her men and instructed them to take care of his body.

As they began to work she surveyed the room and wondered what step she should take next.

Oliver Queen was behind the shit storm that she had been experiencing lately. He had teamed up with the blonde, previously dark haired, girl that had escaped China White. She wouldn't escape again. It was a promise. And Oliver Queen? He would pay more than her. He was crossing a line that would lead to a war that she was aching to start but couldn't afford.

Whipping out her phone she grinned as an idea came to her. This would get both of them. Rattle them in their cages before she tore them out of them. She was done playing games with the little Queen and his stray pet.

He picked up her call after only two rings.

'"And to what do I owe this pleasure?" He answered. He knew it was her no matter what phone she used.

"I think we have a problem."

"And that would be?"

She went for it without hesitation, "Oliver Queen and his pet Felicity Smoak are coming after the Triad."

There was silence on the other side of the line and if it wasn't that she had respect for the man, she would of laughed. He was a careful man. Always knew what was going on. Who was around him. Who he could trust. And he wasn't expecting this blow.

"I told him that girl was trouble. I will end her when the time comes. Now...tell me…what has the boy been up to?"

* * *

**A/N: What the heck is going on!? Who's on the phone and what craziness is coming after our couple?**

**On a side note, the scene from tonight's smut piece came from The Alternative Source's new Tumblr for your smut Olicity needs! She's experimenting so come on over: .com ! (remove parentheses) **

**Love, **

**PoisonAngelMuse &amp; TheAlternativeSource**


	19. Somebody To Die For

**The Crow Chapter 19 – Somebody To Die For**

**Disclaimer:** We own nothing but our plot and our own characters. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to DC Comics and CW Television. All rights over this idea and its concepts belong to us. This work is intended for the private enjoyment of the reader and is not to be shared on any other sites (besides AO3 and FF) or events without our express permission.

* * *

**A/N: Hi everyone! This chapter and the next and we're done alongside Arrow. Hope you guys are ready to join us in the final moments of this great adventure! **

**We want to thank you all for the amazing support and love!**

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**Link for The Crow Soundtrack - /lyra-aureus/the-crow-official-soundtrack**

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**Music – Somebody to Die For by Hurts**

* * *

_I could drag you from the ocean,  
I could pull you from the fire  
And when you're standing in the shadows  
I could open up the sky  
And I could give you my devotion  
Until the end of time  
And you will never be forgotten  
With me by your side_

_And I don't need this life_  
_I just need…_

_I've got nothing left to live for_  
_Got no reason yet to die_  
_But when I'm standing in the gallows_  
_I'll be staring at the sky_  
_Because no matter where they take me_  
_Death I will survive_  
_And I will never be forgotten_  
_With you by my side_

_Cause I don't need this life_  
_I just need…_

_Somebody to die for_  
_Somebody to cry for_  
_When I'm lonely_

_When I'm standing in the fire_  
_I will look him in the eye_  
_And I will let the devil know that_  
_I was brave enough to die_  
_And there's no hell that he can show me_  
_That's deeper than my pride_  
_Cause I will never be forgotten_  
_Forever I'll fight_

_And I don't need this life_  
_I just need…_

_Somebody to die for_  
_Somebody to cry for_  
_When I'm lonely_

_And I don't need this life_  
_I just need…_

_Somebody to die for_  
_Somebody to cry for_  
_When I'm lonely_

_Don't go gentle into that good night_  
_Rage on against the dying light_

* * *

Returning to Starling City was like stepping into another world. The weekend they had...it was what they all needed.

Oliver got to relax and finally see that no matter what he did the people around him had his back. Felicity basked in the loving glow that was Oliver. Using this weekend to assure him that she was here and that she wasn't going anywhere. Sara bonded with the woman she never thought that she would consider (now she wouldn't tell anyone this) but sort of a sister. John saw how things had changed. Their flow becoming fluid and shining because of the new addition to their family. Roy shared a piece of himself he'd never shared before, breaking down some of the walls inside of him.

They were also optimistic of getting ahead of the storm that was coming. They were finally going to stick it to China White and if possible the Bratva as well. They had talked and planned about what to do with the latter and were sure that if Oliver took the next step they were ready.

They could feel the change come over them almost instantly as they stepped inside of Starling City's city limits. But they were united against the cold front that was China White. They were united against the cold front that was the Bratva. They were united.

Today found Felicity with her head buried in a couple projects that she was eager to start. Working at QC was different. Refreshing. And a part of her thought that maybe this was her destiny all along. Coming to Starling City. Working at QC. Meeting Oliver. It could have happened in so many different ways and would always lead back to him. Any who, after about 15 minutes of whispered words and kisses with Oliver in his office, she had headed down to her office and had lost herself in her work until a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"You ready to go?"

Felicity jumped in her seat and turned her gaze away from her computer. Roy was standing by her open doorway. He looked all crisp and beautiful leaning against her doorframe. He also looked extremely smug for having made her jump.

"Well look at you!" Felicity teased as she started shutting down her stuff, "You look nice."

Roy stood proud and tugged at his collar, "I do."

Felicity put away some folders and locked her files away. All the stuff she had on the Triad was at the foundry but you could never be too careful, "Well at least you're modest."

Roy snorted and stepped inside her office, "Nope. Have to look nice next to you."

Felicity smiled at the compliment. There was only brotherly teasing in his words, "Thanks. Is Oliver coming?"

"No, he's stuck in some meeting with John so I'll be your lunch companion today. We're going to pick them up lunch."

Now that Felicity was a member of Queen Consolidated, she and Oliver tried to have lunch together every chance they got. But being a CEO wasn't an easy task, and more than once Oliver had so much work to do that he had no time to go out and even get lunch. Today was one of those days.

Of course Oliver had told her it wasn't necessary, that someone could deliver it for them, but Felicity liked picking them up lunch. She would grab John or Roy or even sometimes Sara, lunch as well to bring along and they would eat in the office or the conference room. The rule was that if you took Felicity to pick up lunch you got to pick what everyone ate, as long as it didn't hit any allergies of course.

"Ohhh ok. What are you in the mood for today?"

Roy suggested, "Thai?"

Her face scrunched up, "No, not today. Still not over last time."

Roy nodded seriously, "Agreed. Last time was no good." Felicity grabbed her bag as Roy grabbed her jacket. Roy held his arm out and she locked arms with him, "Maybe Mexican?"

She pressed the elevator button when they reached the end of her hall, "I don't know if I'm feeling that adventurous today."

Roy chuckled before saying, "Burgers it is then."

* * *

Ten minutes later they were driving through the Glades in the Audi. They had decided on a small diner that had the best burgers in Starling City. Roy and Diggle had become addicted to the famous Big Belly Burger, and at least two times a week they would drive there on their lunch hour to get their fix. While Felicity loved a good burger with fries as much as any girl, she loved to tease her friends that they were soon going to get a 'big belly' from it.

"I'm just saying, you won't be 20 forever Abercrombie," Felicity goaded while Roy drove, "Soon the girl's won't give you a second glance."

"So you can eat junk food but I can't? Is that what you're saying?" Roy shot back with a small laugh. He turned down a small street and stopped at a red light.

"Precisely," Felicity said while humming with the music playing on the stereo, "I already found my one and only. Oliver will love me no matter what. But you on the other hand…"

She gave him an overly critical looking once over and he held a hand to his chest in shock. Felicity grinned without restraint. The bond that she had grown with Roy was something that she'd always wanted. A brother.

Roy pointed at his chin before saying, "Blondie, look at this square jaw. Do I look like someone that is worried about female rejection?"

"Your ego is so big that one day it's going to explode," Felicity said, mock annoyance in her voice as she pushed her glasses back into place. No matter how much she thought of Roy as her 'brother' she had no problem admitting that Roy was a bit of a womanizer. And while she knew it was probably because he never had fallen in love, she still worried about him.

"What can I say? I've never gotten complains before," Roy said with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

Felicity rolled her eyes. "This girl you're seeing, Mia, she's making you an even more arrogant ass than you already are."

He returned her small eye roll. "She happens to love my arrogant ass."

"I bet she does," Felicity said, letting the innuendo slip.

The light changed and they kept on driving.

"Blondie, look at you. Who knew you had a dirty mind behind this good girl persona," he teased. He knew full well that sometimes innuendos just happened to be part of Felicity's speech.

"You have no idea," she whispered, remembering how dirty she and Oliver could be. Blushing she turned to look out the window. The things that that man did with his tongue should be illegal. Just this morning she had woken up with Oliver's head between her thighs, his stubble leaving her inner thighs red and tender.

"No! Stop thinking about doing dirty things with Oliver. That is just disgusting," Roy groaned, recognizing the glassy eyed look in Felicity's eyes even though she'd turned away quickly. Felicity had become like an older sister to him and he did not want her to sit next to him and picture Oliver doing…unspeakable things to her. It was wrong. "I may need to bleach my mind."

"Roy!" she whirled around sharply and laughed, "You were the one that told him he needed a box full of condoms. The entire box."

"Thank you very much for putting that image back in my head," Roy said with a grunt, the vision of Oliver only in his boxers sporting an erection still haunted his worst nightmares. No one wants to see their family like that. No one. "I will send you two the therapists bill."

"Stop being a baby! We're all adults here," she baited, while moving her fingers among the stereo system.

"Stop messing with my stereo," Roy said, trying to push Felicity's hands away. "You're going to mess up my stations," he mumbled, frustrated but not meaning it...completely.

"Oh come on!" she said, laughing, "You're overreacting. MIT graduate, remember? I'm sure I can find your stations again if I mess with your precious stereo."

"You're so annoying. Next time you're taking the back seat."

"Don't get your panties in a twist, pretty boy. Or at least your boxers."

They stopped at another red light and Roy's looked around, "Why did I volunteer to bring you again? Also why is there a red light here if there's no traffic or cars around?"

"Because you love me and you wanted to pick the place we have lunch at. Now stop being so grumpy. You're going to get grey hairs!" Felicity joked, pushing his shoulder gently before pointing out, "Green light."

Roy shook his head and they started moving forward.

Before Roy could reply, they caught the flash of a dark van out of the corner of their eyes. Then they were flying. Arms, legs and heads snapping to the side at the initial shock. Glass shattered all around them and became the least of their problems as they began rolling. There was no time to breath or scream. Or even realize what they were doing or what was happening to them as the metal twisted around them.

It could have been seconds or minutes. They didn't know. They were just on a ride, hoping and praying that they'd survive. The crash was violent, leaving a trail of destruction behind as their bodies jerked one final time, leaving them hanging upside down.

Roy was dizzy, his vision blurred and his body aching. He tried to keep his eyes open. Tried to find his focus, his grounding. But he couldn't. Felicity was in a similar state. The air bag left her face stinging and she was pretty sure that her head had smacked the passenger side window with enough force that she was bleeding down the side of her face and through her hair. She could barely keep her eyes open, time slipping by her.

"Felicity?" Roy groaned as a cough shook through him. He pushed the deflated airbag away from his face. His hands were covered in small cuts and they stung with every move. His vision started spotting at the moment when he heard movement next to him. He jerked awake and shouted, "Felicity!"

"I'm…" her voice faintly said back to him before groaning and becoming quiet.

Swallowing down the ache he felt coming over his bones and chest he pushed the airbag away completely. When he caught sight of her he panicked. Her eyes were flickering open and there was blood dripping from a place he couldn't see. The only relief he had was that she was breathing, a small wisp of hair over her face moving with each breath she took.

"Fuck," he groaned, trying to move his arm to release the seatbelt, but an throbbing pain held him back. His shoulder was probably dislocated. But that didn't matter. He needed to get them out of the car. They needed help. He moved his fingers against the panel, looking for the small button that was hidden from plain sight.

"Yes," he said in relief, finding the hidden panic button and pressing it. He knew that Oliver and Diggle would receive the signal and their location almost immediately. They would find them. With a grunt, he moved his injured arm one more time, trying to reach for his seatbelt. It was stuck.

"Shit," Roy hissed, moving his hand against the inner compartments next to his side where he always kept a small knife. His hand ran over it for a while as the blood rushed to his head.

"Roy?" Felicity whispered, in and out of consciousness, the words barely leaving her lips. Steeling herself she opened her eyes and held them open, "Roy?"

"Felicity," Roy said, relieved to see she was awake, "We're going to be ok. Help is coming."

"Roy," she whispered again, her head hurting as the pain really started registering in her mind. Her side ached and she was scared. For her and for Roy.

Roy reached out to steady her. She was finally realizing that she was upside down and she was freaking out without realizing it. Before Roy could utter another word a sharp sound snapped through the air and Roy jolted to the side once more. Both looked at his chest and saw that a growing spot of red was forming there.

"Roy!" Felicity shouted desperately as she watched his body go lax, "Roy you answer me!"

"Licity…" he moaned. He felt a small trail of blood run down into the curve of his neck and the sharp metallic taste of blood in his mouth, "There's someone else here. They're coming. You need to go."

"No!" she shouted, trying to free herself from her seatbelt, but she was too weak, she could barely move. A panic spread over her as she felt like she was reliving the moment with Cooper all over again. She couldn't help him. Someone was going to hurt them.

Her struggle became desperate as Roy's eyes slipped closed and he lost consciousness. "Run," the last words escaping him.

"ROY!" she shouted, straining to him. Hot tears streaked her face and her breath started coming fast. The last thing she heard before passing out was her door being wrenched open.

* * *

Oliver had been on edge the entire day. After the weekend he had with Felicity and the others he'd come back with a new sense of understanding. A new and reassuring sense of where he stood among his tight circle of friends. It had been good knowing his friends had his back. Coming back to Starling City soured that experience.

This morning he had awoken with images in his mind of the day his family was murdered. It was almost as if he had been a child again, watching helpless as the people he loved where killed one by one. He used to have those nightmares almost every night for years, but ever since Felicity came into his life, they had been less and less frequent. Almost like, she was the light that pushed the darkness away.

But last night, for the first time in a long time, he had woken up with the sound of his mother's pained scream and the image of his dead sister bleeding. He hadn't slept after it, spending most of the night watching Felicity sleep, letting her presence sooth him and his rapidly beating heart. When it was time for them to start their day together he had woken her up in his own special way and basked in her smile and comforting presence.

The lack of sleep and the renewed tension that he felt because of the Feds and his Bratva business left him crankier than usual when they arrived at work. It only worsened when he found out he had an overwhelming amount of contracts and business meetings to attend. This had prevented him from joining Felicity for another work lunch like he wanted to. To say he was an irritated asshole to people was kind of an understatement.

He had been trying to read the same line for the tenth time when his phone started going off. He recognized the ringtone instantly. It was the kind of sound he never wanted to get. Code Red. Oliver's fingers fumbled for the phone and saw the distress signal was coming from the Audi that Roy and Felicity had taken when they went out for lunch. According to the GPS coordinates on his phone the car was in the Glades.

Oliver felt his chest tighten and his hands started to shake. The car wasn't moving.

Everything Diggle was saying was indistinguishable. He'd gotten the alert as well and had jumped up and out of his seat, shouting instructions into his phone because Roy wasn't picking up. It was almost as if things were moving at the speed of sound. Diggle cursed and tried Felicity's number. No one picked up either.

Something bad had happened.

Oliver finally found his voice, "Roy activated the distress signal. They're not picking up. Something happened."

Their eyes met and both shared the same panic, "Grab your gun."

Moments after, the gun safe was opened and Oliver was armed and on his way to the Glades with Diggle. John was driving because all that Oliver could think of was 'Oh god let them be ok. Let them be safe. Let this only be an accident' as he tried their phones over and over with no answer.

The coordinates lead them to a further off corner of the Glades, where debris was scattered all over the street. There was no way you could miss the shattered glass and the overturned Audi pushed to the side of the street.

"Roy! Felicity!" Diggle shouted, exiting the car and running towards the car while Oliver walked slowly, the image all too familiar. The twisted metal and the shattered glass. The tire tracks. The blood on the window. The body lying lifeless inside.

"Roy! Roy! Don't do this to me, boy," Diggle shouted in despair as his hands checked Roy, "Oliver don't just stand there! Help me get him out!"

Oliver shot forward, mind still numb as he cut Roy out of his seat and helped Diggle pull Roy out of the car. Roy's body looked broken, his face pale and chest covered in red. Oliver took off his jacket and pressed it to Roy's chest. He finally felt the strings of reality getting to him when John said, "Roy, hang in there. Oliver check for Felicity."

But he already knew the truth. Felicity was gone. He knew it before he went around the car and saw her door wrenched open. He knew before he spotted the blood on the roof of the car. He knew before his eyes caught the cut seat belt. The woman that owned his body and soul was gone.

"Oliver, snap the fuck out of it! Call 911. We need to take him to a hospital! He's still alive!" Diggle shouted and Oliver jumped. His mind came flying back to him and smacking him with the full force of what he'd seen. Felicity was gone. Roy was hurt. He pulled out his phone and called 911 immediately, giving their location and going over to help Diggle keep pressure on Roy's chest.

The only thing that he said to John over and over was, "They took her John. Someone took her."

It was a mix of images and sounds after that. The rescue team came and took Roy to Starling City Memorial in critical condition while cops filled the scene. Oliver and Diggle rushed to the hospital with him. Diggle had let the brotherhood know they had been attacked, that they were on full alert and Oliver called Sara in; someone how calming her down enough to drive even though all he felt inside was a thundering and growing anguish. He and Diggle divided up the load and called for multiple search teams to try to locate Felicity. It was Bratva priority to locate the beloved of the Captain. But both of them knew what the crash site had told them. Felicity had been taken for a reason while Roy had taken a bullet to the chest.

They also knew that it wasn't just any kidnapping. No, this was personal.

It was a commotion when they got to the hospital. Diggle talking to the doctors as they rushed Roy to surgery. Sara arriving and freaking out when Oliver wouldn't give her anything besides swift, 'I don't knows.'

Oliver stood frozen, holding tightly onto his phone as he looked down at a picture of him and Felicity; his wallpaper. It was a picture they had taken a few days ago at the Lake House. She looked so happy, the sun illuminating her face while they sat down on the dock. In that moment he had thought that they would be ok; but now all he could see was the blood that pooled on the roof of the car where she should have been.

It was too similar to what had happened to him all those years ago.

"Mr. Queen! Mr. Queen? Can you hear me?" Detective Quentin Lance asked him. "Mr. Queen!" Quentin shouted, startling him and making Oliver look at him.

"Detective," Oliver whispered, his eyes coming to focus, almost as if he was finally conscious. He tried to ground himself. He couldn't do this right now. Couldn't freeze himself out anymore because of the numbing pain. He needed to find Felicity and the cop in front of him was going to help him, "You're here to help find Felicity."

Quentin nodded, "Yes, yes. I've been here for like five minutes trying to get your attention. Now, do you know what happened today, Mr. Queen?"

"They took her," Oliver said, his mouth dry and his hands trembling with anger. He knew why the accident was so familiar. His next words were more sure, "They took Felicity. What have you gotten from the scene so far? I rushed here with Roy and didn't…get as much time to look at it." He didn't say, 'because I had frozen at the thought of her being in that twisted metal ball all alone while Roy bled next to her.'

Quentin pulled out a small pad and started reading. "The Audi that your girlfriend and her bodyguard were driving was pushed off the road by a large vehicle. Your guard, Mr. Roy Harper, was shot once in the chest and there were no other signs that Ms. Smoak was hit as well."

"They meant to kill Roy," Oliver supplied. The words hurt him, "To leave her without a guard."

"Yes," Quentin agreed, "I believe that they meant to kill Mr. Harper. But we believe that your girlfriend wasn't harmed. That she was taken alive and the blood where she would have been was probably a head wound as there was a match on the side door."

"I know she is alive," Oliver stated with all the certainty in the world.

Quentin raised a brow, "How do you know that? Mr. Diggle told me that no one came forward to ask for a ransom."

"Because they wanted me to know. They wanted me to know it was 'them'. That they had taken her for me," Oliver said through clenched teeth. He wanted to spit out the words and tell Quentin but how could he without implicating himself and his family, including Felicity? "Just like they took everything else. They want to break me. Just like before."

"Who would want to take her? One of your…business partners?" Quentin asked as he stepped closer to Oliver, trying to make sure no one overheard.

Oliver straightened and ran along the edge of the truth, testing the waters, "They did the same thing when they killed my parents and my sister. They pushed us off the road and shot at the car. But this time…they wanted to make sure they took her alive."

"They? You know who killed your family?"

"The Triad," Oliver said, his mind finally deciding that 'fuck it', he didn't have time to waste and that the story Felicity, Oliver, John, Sara, and Roy had worked on was finally ready to be used, "You know that my father was involved in 'certain business'. The Triad didn't like it. So they decided to kill my family."

"And you always knew?" Quentin asked shocked. To the SCPD the murder of the Queens was never solved. There were suspicions that someone had ordered the execution of the family, but no one could prove why someone would order such a terrible thing. Some thought it might have something to do with certain contracts that Queen Consolidated had done at the time, but it'd never crossed Quentin's mind that the Triad would be the one responsible for it. However Oliver was involved with the Bratva it hadn't just started with him. It was a family thing that had gotten them killed. Well almost all of them.

"I lived my entire life hoping that one day they would pay for their crimes. They made me who I am," Oliver stressed and he could see understanding in Quentin's eyes, "They're the reason that all of this is happening."

"But why would they take Ms. Smoak alive? For money?"

"For revenge," Oliver said bitterly, knowing that China White would be merciful…for now. For however long it took him to find Felicity. She would torture Felicity. Break her. Make her beg for her own death.

They would find her before that.

"Revenge?" Quentin asked, shocked. He started connecting the pieces and edged over the invisible line they had always drawn between them, "You think they know she was the one that got the intel for us? How could they know?"

"I think that China White has all the reasons to want Felicity dead," Oliver said getting up from his chair and signalling for Diggle and Sara, who had just finished talking to Roy's doctors. From here he could see at least two guards standing outside the door to surgery. "But I won't let her destroy everything again. I won't let her kill the woman I love. She took everything from me once…but not this time. You do your job and send out your most trusted to find her," Oliver said, walking away from Quentin.

"Mr. Queen!" Quentin called out as Diggle and Sara fell into line with Oliver and exchanged worried glances, "Oliver! Where are you going?"

Oliver glanced back at Quentin, his voice hard and resolute, "I'm going to get her back. No matter what."

* * *

A gentle cool breeze slid over her skin and she shivered as she came back to consciousness. Ignoring the chill she tried to move. Her arms first. When they met resistance she tried to move her legs and felt the same resistance. An aching became apparent in her body as well. Her side hurt, her ankle too. And for the strangest reason her hair was matted to the side of her face. Sticky with…dried blood. Panic swelled in her at this as the final moments in the Audi came to her and she realized that she wasn't in the car. She wasn't with Roy. She was somewhere different and cold after they had been struck the car.

Her mind started desperately repeating the same things in alarm.

She wasn't with Roy.

She wasn't with Oliver.

She wasn't home.

Lifting her heavy head she blinked. Everything still looked cloudy and she couldn't see around herself or where she was strapped down. Terror seized her heart as her vision slowly started to clear. She was in the dark. Expansive dark that just spread around her. For a moment she thought that her eyes were still closed until she noted the sliver of light across from her.

Focusing she realized that it was a door. A door that just flew open. There was a silhouette there. Standing there all cocky with their hip to the side. It was a woman from what she could tell, with long hair and sure and steady steps as she came inside. Felicity tried to control the way that her heart started beating erratically in her chest as the woman started circling Felicity.

She didn't say a word as she circled Felicity.

Felicity's voice trembled as she whispered out, "Hello?" Her eyes were just finally adjusting to the darkness when the lights sprang to life. Her body went to automatically cover her face but her tied down limbs only allowed her to jerk in place, making her chair wobble for a second before settling.

"Well look what we have here," a voice whispered into her ear.

She instantly twisted to look behind her when a face popped up next to hers, hands gripping her shoulders. Her breath caught in her throat when white hair pooled over her shoulder and China White's face came into sight.

Her eyes widened and she stared. The woman that had killed Chuck, Rory, Sin…was standing right behind her. The woman who killed Robert, Moira and Thea and had staged an accident similar to what happened twenty years ago to get Felicity. The woman in front of her had somehow found out what they were doing and was finally tired of Felicity and Oliver playing around with her.

This was China White's endgame.

"Cat got your tongue? I know everything else was hurt. Your ankle twisted, your ribs bruised. That nasty cut by your forehead," China White used a gloved finger to poke at Felicity's head and she winced, pulling away from the hand and closer to China White's head coincidentally, "But your tongue was fine."

The hand went back to join the one on her shoulders. She dug in her fingers and Felicity could feel the nails press into her. She grimaced and tried to pull forward but China White didn't let her move.

"China White," Felicity ground out, finally acknowledging the woman. She didn't know what to say to her. Because it didn't matter. China White had taken her to hurt her. To hurt Oliver.

The vile woman had the nerve to laugh as if this was a game or the best moment of her life, "You do remember me. And I guess the cat didn't get your tongue."

Ignoring the pain in her shoulders she asked, "What am I doing here? Where's Roy?"

"Oh your little friend?" China White crooned, "Shot. Just like your friends. Just like your little Cooper. I finished him too."

Felicity felt a mix of anger, pain and panic flow through. The Raiders, her family for years was officially gone. And her efforts to find Cooper…were of no use. He had probably been dead since she escaped from him. And Roy…her new family member was hurt. Possibly gone.

"Where is Roy?" she asked in a growl, punctuating each word with all the strength she had. Her head snapped to the side when China White came around her to backhand her.

"You shut your mouth!" she shouted, "I told you he was shot. Gone!"

Her cheek stung and tears sprung to her eyes at the thought of Roy actually being gone. She hissed in pain before focusing back on China White. Now that she could see her…it all became more real. There was fury in that woman's eyes. "I thought you wanted me to talk," Felicity sassed back.

That earned her more of China White's anger. Instead of slapping her, this time China White pulled a blade out of nowhere and with a swiftness Felicity knew she had, she held it to her neck. Felicity froze as the sharp edge dug into her skin, "You were saying?"

Felicity held still but her eyes blazed with scorching fury and loathing for the woman.

"Now you're the little blonde thing that's been causing me trouble? I like the new hair by the way. A couple shades up and you'd be just like me!" she yelled her last words close to Felicity's face before continuing, "You know you've cost me a lot right? Cost me business worth billions. And for what?"

When Felicity didn't answer China White's eyes became manic and she ran the flat edge of the blade up her throat, "You can answer you know."

"Family," Felicity spit out, her mind still on Roy. From the bits and pieces that she could remember he had been alive and reached out to help her when he'd been shot. She couldn't even do anything to get to him before she was snatched right out of the car. She prayed China White was lying or wrong.

China White pulled away, her blade arm falling to her side as she laughed. She pulled her head back and shook it. She was disgusted by Felicity's answer, "Family? Family is not worth a damn."

"It's worth everything," slipped out of Felicity. Family is what was going to keep her strong now. It's what was going to drag this out until help came. She had no doubt that it would.

"No. It's about loyalty. Family doesn't mean anything. Look what family did to you? Cooper comes to mind."

The angry look in Felicity's eyes slipped a little and China White looked gleeful.

"Just like your little friends, Coopers gone. Got him just like I got the others." She waved the blade in front of Felicity's face mockingly. Felicity bit her bottom lip and clenched her hands, nails digging into her skin to prevent herself from crying. This woman had taken another person from her and she was boasting about it. China White continued her tirade, "I got him with this right here. And if you're lucky I'll get you the same way."

"You're a monster."

"I am. I snuck into your apartment. Creeped inside. Took down Chuck before he knew what was happening. Before he could really scream. Rory was the same thing. Now…Sin she was a fighter."

With every word that China White spoke about her friends her face fell, her mind conjuring images about their deaths. She tried to shake it off. She couldn't do this now. If she was going to survive this she had to hold her ground. No matter how hard it was.

Felicity refused to say anything else. China White was on a roll and there was nothing to stop her as she began monologuing. Everything would be ruined if she spoke. She refused to speak and endanger them, the family that she had built for herself. The family that she wouldn't let China White hurt or steal from her like she'd done with the Raiders. No more.

"I've been dreaming about this for months. Taking you down just like I did your family," China White finally finished. She made quotation marks with her fingers at the word family.

Felicity's eyes watched her. Steady and never leaving her. She was insane. And it made it even worse with her acting all casual and making quotation marks with a blade still in her hands. It was everyday for her.

"And you know what's the best part?" China White asked and Felicity didn't make a sound. She snapped towards her and gripped Felicity's hair, yanking it back. Felicity cried out in pain. Her hold didn't falter. "Answer me!" she demanded.

"What is the best part?" Felicity murmured.

"The best part is that Cooper was the one to give you up. He's the one who snitched on you," she replied gleefully.

Felicity's blood ran cold. Cooper Sheldon had been the one to tell her to run that first time. He had accused her of betraying him when she had tried to help him. And in the end the twisted person that he was, because of this woman in front of her, caused him to betray her in the worst possible way.

This is how she was here. Why she was here. Cooper's final betrayal.

"Now, what's about to come will be a pleasure for me but a pain for you. I promise you this Ms. Smoak. For your 'Raiders'. For Mr. Queen," Felicity noted how China White's eyes darkened and her mouth became pinched as she spit out Oliver's name, "I'll make this hurt."

Felicity knew that she meant to keep that promise.

China White pulled back, standing tall and proud as she looked down at Felicity. "Unless."

When she didn't continue speaking, Felicity asked, "Unless?"

"Unless you tell me what you and Oliver have planned. Things have been brewing in Starling City since you turned in that information that linked those two idiots in my shipping business. So if you play nice. Tell me. I'll hurt you...well less than I will Oliver. So? What's it going to be?"

Felicity's stayed quiet and China White started tapping the flat of her blade against her gloved hand, the slap echoing around the room.

"Time's ticking Ms. Smoak!"

Felicity stayed silent. China White was going to hurt her no matter what she did, that much was clear. And she wouldn't be like Cooper. She wouldn't let this dreadful woman burrow herself into her brain and twist her until she spilled her secrets. Her new families secrets.

The fist was expected but still a surprise when her head cracked to the side. China White followed it with a swift swipe to the opposite side of her face. Felicity would have been cut open, ear to ear by China White's blade, if it wasn't that she'd slid it back into a holder on her belt just before the hit.

Turning her face to the side she spit out blood. The smattering of it against the concrete floor was loud and ominous. Training her eyes back on China White she thought of Oliver.

He'd find her. She had no doubt about that. She just had to hold on. She had to pull herself out of her body and concentrate on every smile they had shared this past weekend. All the intimate nooks that he'd shown her where he and his sister hid and played in. She thought of the way he looked at her, eyes bright and loving. Oliver Queen was a strong man, unyielding. She'd be just like that. Unyielding as her head snapped back and her lip split open from another hit, blood pouring down the front of her blouse.

"So this is how it's going to be Ms. Smoak?" China White mused, her tone final as her head tipped to the side in contemplation. Felicity was keeping silent, "You've got guts. I'll give you that. Queen chose well. Now let's see if we can beat some answers out of you."

Felicity gripped the armrests, bracing herself as China White punched her again.

* * *

An undiscernible amount of time later, Oliver and Diggle rushed back to the mansion with Sara staying behind with the two Bratva guards to watch over Roy. His mind was working on overdrive and he had become focused, blocking out the overwhelming emotions that he had felt all over the past hour. He couldn't go back to being swallowed by his panic and fear. No, if his life had taught him anything it was that sometimes you needed to shut down certain emotions to keep your head in the game. To keep control. He needed to shut down his fears. He needed to think straight without his emotions clouding his judgement. He needed to be the Crow. He was the one that would be able to save Felicity.

He paced in his office talking and commanding men involved in the search. So far they had talked to witnesses around the Glades but they hadn't gotten much, only that two dark cars were at the accident. One vehicle had taken the brunt of the hint and the other had masked men that had taken an unconscious blonde woman out of the wreckage.

Felicity's phone had been left on a sidewalk a few miles away from the crash site, ending that lead there. Oliver cursed himself for not asking her to wear a tracking device with her all the time. He should have made her wear one after Cooper had taken her. He should have seen this as a sign of their security issues, but he chose to let her make her own decisions and not to act like a crazy overprotective partner. For her privacy, he'd jeopardized her safety and made it so he had no way to track her down.

He had put all his men on the search for Felicity. And while the Bratva had many resources, they couldn't find a single trace of Felicity. It was as if she had faded into thin air with no camera catching anything. With no witnesses to tell them the path she had been taken.

"_I want results Vladimir, not excuses_!" Oliver shouted to one of his men that reported basically nothing to him. It had been hours, and there was still no sign of her, "_Go off to check the next quadrant with your men_."

"_I am sorry, Captain. We will find her_," Vladimir said, his voice trembling at The Crow's fury, "_I swear on my honor and on my life_."

"_You better_!" Oliver hissed, making sure that with every fiber of his being Vladimir knew how important this was and spread the word. "_Tell the men that you won´t rest until Felicity is safe. Go_!" Oliver shouted, watching Vladimir nod and rush out of his office and towards the group of his Bratva men that were waiting for instructions.

He kept pacing, his mind going wild with the possibilities. Felicity had been taken five hours ago, and there was no ask for ransom, no phone call, nothing. She could be dead already. She could have been tortured, beaten, raped. Someone could be enjoying ripping her apart piece by piece, and there was nothing he could do to stop it because according to John he needed to be here and coordinate. He needed to be here in case she called, Felicity or China White. He castigated himself for thinking like this. He couldn't give up. He would find her and he would make the people who took her pay. They would know the fury of The Crow. He would rip them apart.

"Oliver, you can't keep doing this to yourself," Diggle said, watching how a dark fury was consuming Oliver slowly but surely.

"I will make them pay. How dare they touch her?" Oliver hissed, closing his eyes, the rage mixing with fear and pain. "How dare they go against me? To take her from me?" Oliver shouted, pressing his hands down on the desk, "The Triad will pay for this with their lives."

"Oliver you've got to calm down, man."

"Calm down? How do you expect me to calm down, John? This is my fault. I should've known they would have come after her. I should have protected her," Oliver said, the edges of despair in his voice.

"Oliver! What happened today was not your fault," tried to rationalize.

Oliver whirled around to look at him, eyes narrowed, "She was taken because of me, John. How is that not my fault?"

"You knew she was on the Triad's black list from the start. We all knew that she was at risk. We tried our best to protect her. Freaking out won't bring Felicity back."

"Don't you think that I know that?"

"We have a lot of people looking for her. We will find her, Oliver," Diggle assured.

"We looked all over the Glades, John," Oliver said bitterly, "We took two of China White men and questioned them. They aren't breaking it. Not even for me. But we both know they're hiding something." They had pulled off the dock, part of a suspected China White drug ring. And even after working them over personally they were still loyal to the Triad, not uttering a peep.

Diggle said stiffly. He had remembered seeing the empty shell of The Crow he knew, before Felicity had come into Oliver's life, standing before him after torturing those men, "They fear their leader much more than they fear what we might do to them."

"The longer we take to find Felicity the longer she will be in China White hands. We both know the kind of things that woman is capable of, John. She will make Felicity beg for her death. She will ruin her," Oliver said with a small pained gasp as he began pacing once more.

Diggle stepped forward and followed Oliver with his eyes, "Felicity is strong! Stronger than we ever hoped her to be. She's a warrior. She won't give up."

"I can't just sit here and do nothing," Oliver argued. He felt like the room was too small and that he needed to get out and pound the pavement. He walked over to his desk and took a drink, "I need to find her."

"You won't help her if you've gotten yourself kill. We need to find a course of action."

"We don't even know where she is!" Oliver yelled, sweeping the contents of his desk. Everything crashed against the floor and wall, "How do you expect me to calm down and make a plan when there are no leads! Our men are useless!"

A couple beats of silence passed. Diggle waited until Oliver's breathing called down. He suggested, "Maybe Lance will find her. We're not just depending on the Bratva anymore."

"We both know that's not true," Oliver said, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples, "The Feds might be on the case, but their priority is not to find her. It's to get proof against China White. By the time they gather where she is it will be too late. And I can't take that chance. I won't. We need to push harder."

A load commotion was heard from what sounded like the front hall, shouts and screams following. Oliver and Diggle rushed towards the noise only to find Anya unconscious on the floor and Raisa being held back by two of Oliver's men.

"_Raisa_!" Oliver shouted in surprise, rushing towards the older woman and checking her over, "_What's going on? What are you doing here_?"

"_Oliver_," she said, trying to get out of the grasp of the two men, "_I came to talk to you_."

"_Let her go_!" Oliver shouted at the two men who released her immediately, "_What the hell do you think you're doing, holding the Pakhan's sister like that_?"

"_We apologize Captain_," the men said as they backed off and checked on the unconscious Anya.

The man checking her pulse said, "_Captain, Ms. Knyazev attacked Anya. We just reacted_."

"_Next time that you react to her like this, it will be your last move. Do you understand_?!" Oliver shouted, not caring much that his maid was on the ground because of Raisa.

"_Yes, Captain_," they said in unison, nodding.

"_You have to lock her up, Oliver. Anya is a traitor_," Raisa stressed quickly, looking at the woman on the floor with disgust, "_She is dangerous. A threat to us_."

That was something that Oliver always knew. He knew exactly why Anya had been sent to live with him in Starling City instead of Raisa. She was one of Anatoly's spies; she reported every move that happened in the mansion back to his uncle. But so far he had tolerated her presence for the sake of keeping appearances and not raising suspicions. But if Raisa said she was a traitor, Oliver knew that something must have happened. His aunt knew something that he didn't.

"_Take her to the basement_," Oliver ordered the two men that had held Raisa, "_I will deal with her later_." Both men nodded and took Anya away and out of sight.

"_Oh my boy_," Raisa said, her face filled with worry.

"_Raisa, come_," Oliver said, softly touching her arm and walking her, along with Diggle, back to his office.

Oliver closed the door behind them and Raisa rushed into his arms. She held him tightly and for a brief second Oliver let go of the pain and held onto the only mother figure he had in his life. He let her warm embrace comfort him only for a few seconds. But they both knew that her presence in Starling City was for a reason. An urgent reason that didn't stop for hugs. Anatoly had never let her leave Russia before, always keeping Raisa close to him.

"_Raisa! What is going on? How did you get here_?"

"_Oh Oliver_!" Raisa said, tears forming in her eyes, "_I should have gotten here sooner. I should have found a way to warn you._"

"_Warn me of what_?"

Raisa took a deep breath as if preparing to drop a bomb on him. And she did. "_Anatoly is in Starling City. He arrived a few hours ago_."

Oliver swallowed down the feeling of utter terror that hit him at Anatoly being involved in this, and pushed forward. He could just assume, "_What? What the hell is he doing here_?"

"_He got a call a couple days ago. He was irritated. More than I'd ever seen. He got on a plane about 10 hours ago. He thought he'd slip by me but I caught him on the way out. He was talking on the phone about Felicity_."

Anatoly was involved in this then. "_What was he saying_? _Did he say specifically where he was going?_"

"_I knew that it couldn't be good. He was mad. He kept saying she was bad for business, that she was trouble. I didn´t know what he was going to do. But I did know that I had to warm you and Felicity_," she said with a pained look and Oliver led her to the armchairs by the window. Diggle got her a glass of water. After a few unsteady sips she continued, "_I couldn't find a way to warn you without tipping Anatoly off. So I used all the connections I still had from the old days to trick the men that were tailing me. An old friend helped me get into the USA undetected hours after Anatoly left. I had to get here and to follow him to the city. With skills that Anatoly doesn't even remember and my trusted friend, I followed him to an abandoned warehouse outside of town. I couldn´t get closer without getting caught. But I did recognize the woman who greeted him._"

Raisa took his hands when they clenched into fists. He growled out, "_Raisa…who was it_?"

"_I believe she is called China White_," Raisa answered, making Oliver tip his head forward and onto their connected hands for a second before looking at both of them.

"_They have her… they have Felicity,_" Oliver said, the words feeling heavy on him but devastatingly true. If there was one person who loved power and his position as much as China White it was Anatoly. And given the opportunity to 'fix' the mistake that Oliver had made in his eyes was something not to be missed. Even if she had to partner with the Triad to do it.

"China White. She's the one that has Felicity," Diggle repeated, running a hand down his face in disbelief. This complicated things monumentally, "And your uncle…I mean Anatoly is involved."

Raisa nodded and scooted closer to Oliver. "_As soon as I saw that Anatoly was in there with that evil woman I left. I knew I had to warn you_. _I tried calling you from a burner phone, but I couldn't reach you_," Raisa said with tears forming in her blue eyes, "_I knew if I called the house the information could reach Anatoly. Anya is more capable than we both thought. She has eyes everywhere, and I knew that some of your men are loyal to Anatoly. I couldn't risk it. I had to tell you in person_."

"_Oh God_," Oliver whispered, the situation worse than he expected. He shook with anger, "If Anatoly is siding with China White and involved with Felicity's kidnapping then he has effectively given his blessing in killing her."

"Oliver," she said, trying to calm him down but he pulled away from her touch.

"_I will kill him_," Oliver hissed, standing up and moving to grab his gun in desk drawer. "If he touches her, I will make him wish he were never born. I know he's your brother but this is the last straw," Oliver fumed, anger clouding his mind.

"Oliver, you can't just barge in there! Your uncle is a smart man, he will be protected," Diggle said, trying to make him think this through. They needed to plan and take their time because this was the shit storm that they were waiting for.

"I won't let him take her away from me!" Oliver said, moving around the room like a caged animal, "I will kill them all. He is no better than China White."

"_My boy, please_," Raisa begged.

"Raisa, we need to know where the warehouse is," Diggle said to Raisa while keeping an eye on Oliver, who seemed ready to bolt. He stepped over to a cabinet and grabbed a couple extra clips. He wasn't going to let Oliver do this unprepared.

"I took a photo with my phone," Raisa said, her accent coming off thicker the more upset she got. She showed the picture to Diggle, "This is where it happened. Where I followed him to."

"It's an old building off of 5th and Clarkson, the old industrial part of the city," Diggle said, looking down at the phone, "My brother used to go there to talk to his contacts."

"Then you know what you need to do," Oliver said, throwing on his jacket and walking towards the door. He had made up his mind.

"Oliver," Diggle protested.

"Call Lance, John. Give them the information we talked about this weekend. The beginnings of it. Say that we got some new information and to send backup to the warehouse with the stipulations we talked about this weekend. He'll come. He'll do it. But don't ask me to wait while that monster is doing only God knows what with Felicity."

"At least let me go with you," Diggle said, walking towards him.

"No!" he shouted, holding a hand up, "You're the only one that I trust in this house that can keep Raisa safe. Tell Lance to send 'all' the backup. If he's really going to help us get ahead of this storm then the time is now. Tell Quentin that I will fulfil my part of the deal if they keep theirs."

"_Oliver! You can´t go alone. Your uncle will kill you,_" Raisa begged, tears falling down her pale face when she met him by the door, "_I don't want to lose you too_."

"_Anatoly ruined my life, Raisa. I won´t let him hurt Felicity_," Oliver said, warm hands pressed against her shoulders. He caught Diggle's eyes over her shoulder and saw the man give him a small nod. He'd keep an eye on her no matter what.

"_Your uncle is crazy. His thirst for power turned him into a very dangerous man. He won't tolerate being challenged by you,_" Raisa explained, "_He'll take you being there as treason_."

"_Then it's a good I won't let him take me without a fight. He won't dictate my destiny or Felicity's. Not anymore_."

"_Oliver, please_."

"_I will be back, Raisa. Felicity and me. I assure you that_," Oliver promised, kissing the top of the older woman's head and rushing out of the room.

Oliver Queen had lost everything once. Had lost his mother, his father, his sister. He wouldn't go through this again. This time, he would be strong enough to push off and away all the outside forces that tried to force their way into his life. Into Felicity's life.

He was the owner of his own destiny. And this time he would protect the one he loved. No matter the cost.

* * *

It was hard to keep track of time when Felicity literally had a pale haired demon striking her down with her words and hands until she couldn't even breathe anymore.

China White played a hard game. She would come in and harass Felicity. Promise her a long list of things that she was going to do to her. Then she would leave her. Let her wait it out in the dark all over again. Then she would come back and try to beat it out of her like she'd done the first round. So far Felicity was sure that her ribs were more than just bruised. There was a shifting she could feel every time she breathed and her ankle was blazing with pain. To top it off the side of her face was swelling already and her lip was split.

And Felicity didn't utter a word to help China White against her family. Even when the last session with China White involved the woman pouring a bucket of freezing water over her and leaving her there in the rapid cooling warehouse. Not a peep except for her cries of pain that she couldn't hold back.

'At least some of the blood washed off,' she thought, counting the drops of water dripping off her fingertips to keep her sane.

She thought of Oliver and the way the corners of his eyes crinkled when he truly laughed, body shaking with laughter before pulling her close in bed. She thought of John and the way that he'd taught her how to finally take Oliver down. She thought of Sara and the countless hours they had spent together, the woman teaching her all the ins and outs of being a woman on the Bratva Captain's arm. She thought of Roy and his teasing grin and Abercrombie looks. She thought of her mother and the bond that they had started working on. And it all got her through the pain the woman administered.

'Oliver was coming,' Felicity repeated to herself as she shook and bled on that chair. He would.

Felicity coughed and jumped only slightly when the door China White had been using opened once more and the lights came one. She had expected the leering grin of that retched woman ready for another go, ready for another round to try to beat the answers out of Felicity with her next chosen bit of torment. She hadn't expected the Pakhan of the Bratva.

Felicity watched in disbelief as Anatoly Knyazev moved slowly through the door and towards her. He looked calm, collected even. China White followed after him and they shared a knowing glance before Anatoly dragged a metal chair in front of hers and sat down. China White stood near.

"You!" Felicity said, voice cracking after speaking for the first time in hours and not holding back on the hatred that she felt for the old Russian man that had made the life of the man she loved a living hell.

"Yes, Ms. Smoak. Where you expecting someone else?" Anatoly asked her, crossing one of his legs on top of the other, "Now what are you doing here? Did you enrage any other powerful people lately?"

Felicity pursed her lips and used the small precious seconds she had to look at it all. Anatoly was involved with China White. She knew what Oliver and Felicity had been up to. Now Anatoly had become a willing part of this. He knew all and had not called any other member of the Bratva. He had come for her. The problem.

"I don't even know why I'm surprised," she said, her loathing for them clear in her tone. "You two are quite a pair. Meant to be," Felicity said, looking from Anatoly to China White, who watched with a sinister smile on her lips. Felicity noticed the specks of red on her cheeks for a fleeting moment.

"Oh, Ms. Smoak. I do appreciated your fire," Anatoly said with a laugh, making Felicity even angrier. "But that always got you in trouble didn't it?" he asked, making her clench her teeth in hatred when he looked at China White and the woman nodded as if Felicity had done a grievous act that needed to be addressed, "I always knew you were trouble. From the very first moment I knew you were going to set fire to everything. And according to my friend here you already did."

"Good to know that I didn't disappoint you then," she said defiantly. She knew she should shut up but she didn't want to give Anatoly the satisfaction of frightening her. This was the beginning of the final stretch of whatever game they were playing.

Anatoly didn't slap her like China White did. He just shook his head before leaning forward and asking, "Do you know why I'm here, Felicity?"

"To talk me to death?" she said sarcastically, using the only weapon she had right now, "I heard it's a new form of torture these days."

He ignored her sass, "I'm here because you put your nose into someone else's business. I'm here because you turned my nephew's head around to the point where he would dare to defy me. You're here because you can no longer escape the inevitable. Your destiny has been set in stone a long time ago, Ms. Smoak."

"So now the Bratva does the Triad's dirty work?" Felicity said, trying for another angle and make Anatoly slip up and tell her more. Monologuing would give her more time.

Anatoly smiled at her attempt to make him snap. "Ms. Smoak, empires are made with alliances. And the Triad has been a partner of the brotherhood for a very long time. So why should I risk it for an insignificant little girl like you?"

"Those are the people that killed Oliver's family. That killed your best friend. How can you stand today and say they're your partner?" she shouted while China White looked only mildly amused.

"You shouldn't say things about what you know nothing about," Anatoly said coldly, finally snapping and rushing forward to press his old wrinkled hand to her neck. His nails dug into the skin there lightly.

"I know enough. I know you're a monster. A murderer. Someone that chose to brainwash and torture a child. To ruin someone that was part of your family. Mould someone innocent into something dark so it would serve you as you wished. You are the devil himself," Felicity fumed while Anatoly fingers dug deeper into her skin, making her hold back a gasp of pain. He was going for pain. Not stopping her from breathing.

Not yet.

His warm and angry breath fans across her face as he held her eyes. Felicity's face soured at the smell of his acrid breath. "You have no idea what you're saying, little girl. You have no idea what I had to do for the brotherhood. The sacrifices I made so the Bratva would be powerful, fierce. So that we could survive and thrive. I made Oliver into a strong man. I took his weakness and turned it into power. Today he is feared and respected. He wouldn't have survived any other way," Anatoly said, his blind faith at his actions making him even more of a monster in Felicity's eyes.

"You took a child and broke him. You turned him into something he was not. You betrayed the Queen's and the trust they had on you. You were supposed to save Oliver, not destroy him," she whispered coldly, angry pears pooling in her eyes. This was for her, for her dead friends, and most especially for the pain this man in front of her had caused Oliver.

"And you think that you will save him?" Anatoly said with a disbelieving and sarcastic laugh, "That boy lost his soul a long time ago. And you can try to deny it as much as you want, but I know Oliver. I know every inch of his dark soul. You were just a small ray of light in an eternal storm. He will forget you as soon as you are gone. You are fooling yourself thinking otherwise."

Anatoly sat back in his seat and China White began circling them slowly. Felicity watched her from the corner of her eye until she disappeared behind her and appeared on her other side, the circling continuing.

"You don't know Oliver like I do," she fumed, the ropes on her wrists tightening as her hands formed into fists, "He's a good man. He won't ever go back to the darkness you brought to his life."

"Don't delude yourself. You may be the one that warms his bed at night, might even be the one he thinks he loves. But you won't be his savior. Oliver is my rightful heir. He will be the new Pakhan. No matter what you say about it. The Crow will continue my work long after I am gone."

"You are sick," Felicity said in disgust as she recoiled. The man was just delusional.

"Your death is a necessity Ms. Smoak. You are a weakness. And in this life, there is no space for the weak. Even if the Triad didn't have a price on your pretty little head, I would have put one on it," he said with a smile that made Felicity's stomach turn, "Not only have you pissed off some very powerful people, but you also have been clouding the boys mind. Making him think he can leave the brotherhood? No one leaves. No one leaves me."

"We will," she promised right before Anatoly kicked her wounded ankle. Felicity almost cried out in pain but held it in. He would have to work harder than that.

'Oliver was coming,' she repeated again to herself.

"Keep trying to push me, Ms. Smoak… and your death will be much more painful than it has to be," Anatoly said as he tapped his fingers against his pants leg. China White came to stand next to him and he stood, circling her and then pulling her head back by her hair, her scalp screaming at the sudden and steady pull. His mouth touched her ear lobe and Felicity turned away, "I can see the appeal. Why my nephew is so fond of you."

"Anatoly, don't hurt her… much. Ms. Smoak and I still have things to do," China White said in a dangerous tone as she took in Felicity's wet body, "I would hate to see her gone too soon."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Anatoly agreed with a chuckle as he let go of her ponytail and moved his fingers against her throat, squeezing it and making it so this time around it was harder to breathe but not enough to make her lost consciousness.

Felicity didn't move when he came to stand in front of her, his hold still sure. Her breathing becoming shallow as she tried to hold on as long as she could. Oliver would come for her.

The strong and defiant look on her face only fueled Anatoly's desire to break her, to show her she was insignificant, weak and pathetic. He held even tighter onto her neck, making her gasp for air, her face turning red with each passing second.

"And to know that something so fragile almost ruined my life's work. Pathetic," Anatoly said with disinterest, letting go of her suddenly, her body falling back against the chair that she was tied to.

Felicity coughed, trying to let air back to her lungs, her throat burning. She was scared, she was shaking, she was angry. But she wasn't defeated. "Oliver will never be yours," Felicity said, her voice raspy, her throat burning, "No matter what you do to me. You won't win. The Crow is gone."

And there it was. The thing that Anatoly feared the most. That Felicity had been the one to take care of his precious Oliver and wipe Anatoly's heir, The Crow, away.

Anatoly went to jump towards her again, murder in his eyes, but China White held him back. He shook her off angrily and straightened himself. He hadn't even realized he'd gotten so angry, "What you don't seem to understand, Ms. Smoak is that I'd rather see my nephew dead than to see him turn into a weak man. Oliver knows the rules. No one leaves the brotherhood. No one. Not even him."

He turned away from them like she wasn't even worth his time even though he had let his true colours shine mere seconds ago. "She's all yours," he called back.

China White grinned as she followed after Anatoly, "Oh she'll be fine. Letting the cold work on her for a bit. Maybe lose some toes by the nights end. Now I have discuss something with you."

Anatoly slowed his pace and neither one looked back at her when they turned off the lights and left her in the large open space. Her short but even breathing was the only sound left behind. She had to control her breathing again, her anger. Those two people thought she was alone. That she wouldn't survive. But they were wrong.

She had her family with her when she closed her eyes. She had their will and strength. And she wasn't going to let murderers, liars, and cheats break her.

Her mind floated back to Oliver and she weakly muttered, "Not now, not ever."

* * *

Oliver had been outside of the warehouse for the past twenty minutes. He was surveilling. He watched the movement around the place, observing three men, that were obviously Russian, smoking at the front entrance while another two, who were Chinese, made rounds around the abandoned warehouse.

He knew he should wait for Quentin's backup. He knew that he was being reckless. He knew there was no way for him to know exactly how many men were inside of the building along with Anatoly and China White. He knew that he might die if he went there alone. But he couldn't stand back while he knew that Felicity was inside of that building. So he would take his chances.

Knowing that the front entrance was a no go, Oliver rushed around the warehouse, using the darkness as his cover to move through the shadows. He worked his way towards the back entrance where only China White's men would be present. Even if Anatoly was there she didn't want to give him the upper hand. If he had time he would knock them out to be questioned but this was different. This was quick and swift justice as he took down the men with a sneaking pair of hands around their necks and a brief snap. He laid each body away from possible peering eyes and moved inside the warehouse undetected.

The place was old; the smell of mold and dirt stained the air. There were old crates of things that had never made it out of the warehouse in a large and expansive room with broken windows and a line of shining lights that lit up the farthest side of the warehouse. There were four men by the crates watching the lightened area. Watching…her. In the middle of the lit up area there was a chair. And tied to that chair was Felicity. His hands clenched with silent seething rage. He couldn't see her face but he could tell it was bad by the blood on her white jacket, her hair and the fact that her head was tipped forward and she wasn't moving.

He prayed that she was only unconscious.

The sight of Felicity lying beaten and broken was too much for him. China White had done this. Her signature was all over her. Taking a deep breath he bypassed his gun and went for a small blade in his pocket. This looked like the main floor of the warehouse with no extra offices but he had to be careful, silent.

He made quick of the first one with a sharp jabbing stab to his neck. Using his small blade he cut into their flesh. Attacked them one by one with a ferociousness that surprised even him. Number two went down with a cut across his neck. Number three went down with a strong punch to the face. And number four went down well…he went down when someone shot through him to get to Oliver.

Oliver grunted and immediately went after his gun. He stopped in his tracks when he felt something cold yet hot at the tip, press against his head. He froze and closed his eyes for a second to stop himself from risking getting away from this. He knew who it was.

"Bravo, Captain," China White said from behind him as three men came and held Oliver down and confiscated his weapons. He could hear the smile in her voice, "I knew that you would find your way in here eventually. I do admit it was quiet disappointing. I was expecting more from The Crow. Especially considering that I took your precious girlfriend away from you."

They slowly helped him to his feet and brought him to Felicity. He wanted to be near her. Get the full scope of what had happened to her so he could know what to do to China White after, "I didn't come here to start a war with the Triad. I just want you to let Felicity go."

China White followed after them with her gun still pressed close, "Really? And why would I do that?"

"Because she's innocent. She has nothing to do with any of this."

Another man appeared and pulled out another chair from the far reaches of the warehouse and placed it in front of Felicity.

China White laughed as she swapped out her gun for the one that they had taken from him. He knew she planned to kill him with his own weapon, "Innocent? That girl is nothing but innocent."

"I know you, China. I know you're an intelligent woman. Neither one of us wants to start a war between the families, so let us deal. Give your price," Oliver tried to reason as the press of the gun left him and he was pushed into the chair. He was a moments away from using the chair to beat them down when he saw that China White had left him to stand behind Felicity, his gun by her side and ready just in case.

Oliver felt shell-shocked.

He could see Felicity's face. He could see her body. Her face…the side was swollen and covered in nicks and bruises, some wounds still sluggishly bleeding. Her hair was also matted to the side of her face. The front of her chest was another the same. It was covered in blood. A sure sign that China White had tried to beat information from her. By the state of her she had failed.

Oliver felt immense pride that she had held out. It was by the far the bravest thing he'd ever seen and he loved her even more for it. But he felt something larger brewing in his chest. A bubbling simmering hate that billowed out from his chest and down every inch of his body. When given the chance he would tear China White and everyone responsible apart. He would make them feel all the hurt she had because Felicity was an innocent.

"You want to deal with me, Oliver Queen?" China White asked easily as she paced slowly behind Felicity.

His gaze rose, hard and cold eyes wanting to rush at China White and make her feel pain in equal measure. But that would mean pushing Felicity out of the way and risk hurting her. So he gripped the armrests until his knuckles were white. He needed to be smart about this. Anatoly was somewhere around here and John would be bringing help. He needed to have the same faith and hope that Felicity had that he would come after her.

He wasn't going to die for his vengeance.

"Spare Felicity's life. Let her go. You can do whatever you want with me," Oliver said shortly, "We both know that you always regretted not killing me before I joined the brotherhood. That you thought your father was weak for sparing me. So, finish the job. I won't even put up a fight."

She didn't touch Felicity but she hovered closer. Oliver's fingers started to ache with their hold on the armrests. "Now why would I do that? Why would I let goldilocks go? I have your weakness right here. And I can end your miserable existence right now."

"I won't ask you again," Oliver growled out, ears listening for any sign or noise that Anatoly or John were coming.

"It's pathetic seeing the great Bratva Captain begging for his girlfriend's life. The Crow would never beg. Loving this woman made you weak."

"I won't make this offer twice. If you don't let her go, I promise you, you will be dead by the end of the night."

"Funny that coming from a guy whose girlfriend I have at gunpoint. You have no leverage here Mr. Queen," she whispered dangerously, "But since you're here. I might just get back to work. I still have so much work to do on sweet Ms. Smoak."

"You will regret this, mark my words," Oliver said through clenched teeth, testing the hold that the two men behind him had on his shoulders. It was tight but not impossible. The real problem was China White behind Felicity.

"And how will I regret it? After all I didn't do anything wrong," China alleged with fake sincerity as she placed a hand on her chest, "She will pay for her defiance…well she's started to already."

"You will pay for touching her," Oliver hissed. His mind kept wondering to Anatoly and where he could be.

"Your girlfriend has a nasty habit of getting her nose into my business. To steal from me. Not only she did dare to do it once, she did it again and again," China said, moving over to the side of Felicity's chair. For a moment Oliver thought that she was going to touch Felicity but she just put her hand on the back of her chair, "I know she was the one that got into my systems over and over again. She was the one that made me lose millions. Because of her I lost my best client. It won't happen again, _Captain_."

"She did what I told her too," he ground out slowly. He wanted to bait her away from Felicity and closer to him. With Felicity out of her reach he could then take care of her.

"_Oliver! That's enough_!" Anatoly shouted, finally emerging from the shadows as if he'd been watching from the beginning. The sick bastard probably had been.

"Uncle," Oliver snarled as Anatoly walked in his direction. His voice became accusing, "You knew she was going to take Felicity."

"Not only did I known, I gave her my blessing. Your girlfriend caused a lot of trouble with her friends. China has the right to do to Ms. Smoak what she sees fit," Anatoly said with authority, his Russian accent strong. He stopped in between them, just a couple yards out of Oliver's reach. He looked, disgustingly enough, disappointed.

"How can you do that?" Oliver snapped, his jaw clenched, "Do this to your family?"

Anatoly's face became red and he pointed at Felicity. "That girl right there is NOT my family! She found shelter with you. She asked for your protection and you gave it to her, knowing that I would never allow this! You hide her for months. You chose to break the rules for that girl, when you should have given her head to the Triad," Anatoly spit out angrily. Oliver could see the hand pointing at Felicity shaking with the anger, "So you brought this onto yourself, Oliver. You betrayed me. You betrayed the brotherhood. All because of your obsession with this vendetta of yours."

The way Anatoly's voice became sour at the end of his words tore out the last final piece of love Oliver held for his dear Uncle Anatoly. He was just Anatoly, the man who had never sided with him. "How can you always side with them? After everything they've done…"

Anatoly rolled his eyes, "Don't get started on this again, Oliver."

Oliver felt his fury drive up another notch, "They murdered my family. Yet you let them live. You make business with them. My family's blood is on your hands! Not on my father's. Not on the Triad's. Yours." A weight lifted off his chest at the words. He'd never been as honest with the man as he was now.

"The Triad and the Bratva have made peace with this a long time ago."

"They are murders. They are responsible for human trafficking. They are monsters. They represent everything that is bad and corrupt in this world!"

"Oh, please!" China White shouted, leaning her hip on the chair and jostling Felicity a little. He didn't know if it was a trick or the chair but he could have sworn he heard her groan. It was the first physical assurance that she was ok and he held onto the thought.

China White continued, "Everyone has a price. We all know that. Business is business, it does not matter what you will sell as long as you are paid. That deal with the Amex group would have given me millions, but your stupid girlfriend ruined it. Now I have the Feds breathing down my neck, raiding my properties."

"You have no soul!" Oliver shouted, baiting them more to come to him, "You will burn for this. Both of you."

"Shut your mouth, boy," Anatoly said, hitting Oliver in the face with the back of his hand, making his head snap to the side. Oliver turned back to him as if it were nothing and the man pulled away from him, putting distant between them as if he hadn't realized how close he'd stepped. Anatoly had a right to fear Oliver, "Look at you. You are weak. That woman made you weak and weakness is something that I can't allow."

"I'm weak?" Oliver said, spitting the small taste of blood in his mouth on the floor by Anatoly's feet, "Look at you. Look at what you're about to let her do. You were supposed to be my family. You were supposed to protect me after they murdered my family. And instead you turned me into my worst nightmare. You tainted the boy I was. Changed the man I could have been."

"I made you strong," Anatoly argued back, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation, "I made you a fighter. I made you a warrior."

"No. You ruined me! You used the love that I had for you to manipulate me. You made me do things that I never wanted to do. Things I am ashamed of!" Oliver admitted for the first time, while slowly fighting against the hold that the men had on him. Any second now John and backup would get here. If they were listening they would get a show. A grand one, "I grew up being afraid of you. Of what you would do if I didn't obey your commands. Of the consequences of my choices."

"I am the only reason you are alive today, Oliver! Don't forget that. You should have forgiven me ages ago. Why are you still holding onto this?"

"Because I will never forgive you!" Oliver bellowed, hatred and anger in his words, "I forgave you for the shit life you made me live. I forgave you for not being the family that I needed you to be. I forgave you for taking my chances of happiness away when I was a child. I forgave you for a lot of things in the past…but I will 'never' forgive you if you kill Felicity. Never."

"She made you weak!" Anatoly hissed in loathing, "I can see it in your eyes. You want to leave. Leave the brotherhood behind. Leave your family. No one leaves. If you do, you will pay the price. You know the code, Oliver."

"I'd rather die than stay another second under your hold," Oliver snorted, "I have been a prisoner my entire life. Never making my own choices. Never choosing my own path. I won't be your prisoner anymore. Even if it's only to die free from you."

"You don't know what you are talking about boy!" Anatoly barked, coming towards and no longer paying attention to how close he was to Oliver, "You were supposed to be my heir. To be strong and powerful. Fearless. But you are just like your father…weak."

"Don't you dare talk about my father," Oliver fumed. He saw the tip of Felicity foot move. The noise must have been waking her up.

"Your father was a weak man, Oliver. He didn't have the guts to stay in the family business. He did enjoy how rich the brotherhood made him, but he couldn't fandom the idea of having blood on his hands. So he decided to leave the brotherhood."

"To leave?" Oliver asked with a shaky voice. He had never known this. Never even contemplated that being the reason for his family's death because his father was loyal.

Anatoly looked a bit proud at surprisingly Oliver with that little bit of information, "Your mother didn't want you and Thea to grow up around the brotherhood. The violence and the dangers. She wanted you two to have a normal life. She begged your father to find a way to leave. He said he would find a way, and he did…"

"You…you killed them?" Oliver asked, shock joining his anger. His eyes shone with the beginnings of angry tears, "Because they wanted to leave you killed my mother! My father! My little sister!"

"I didn't kill them. Your father did. He knew the consequences. I'll tell you this…I knew that your father was in danger. I heard the whispers out on the streets that the Triad had put a hit on him. I protected him in the beginning. But the moment he said he wanted out…I didn't owe him anything anymore. So I choose to not do anything about it. I let the Triad set your family free," Anatoly said coldly.

The casual way he said it made Oliver turn his head away from the man and focus on Felicity. He couldn't believe how the man said it as if someone took his favourite toy away and not the death of some of his dearest and oldest friends.

"You sentenced them to their death," were the only words that slipped out of his mouth. The man that had raised him and used to play with him and his sister had sentenced his family to death, "You're a murderer."

"Of course he is, you simple man!" China White jeered as if he was the stupidest man alive, "It's what has kept us alive while you're sitting here all pretty because you don't want me to hurt your girl."

Anatoly ignored her. "I didn't want your family to die, Oliver. I always loved you and your sister as if you were my own children. I loved your father as a brother. But the code and the brotherhood must always come first. No matter how much it kills me to let it happen," Anatoly said, a hint of emotion clouding his voice before disappearing again, "But when I found out you had survived…I knew I had another chance. So I took you in, and I raised as my own son. Well until now."

"You could have saved them! They are dead, because of you!" Oliver accused, hatred and despair mixed into his voice as he shouted at Anatoly. Felicity's head had actually risen a little and he had to keep their eyes on him, "You ruined my life! I won't ever forgive you. You are dead to me!"

"You were like a son to me, Oliver. My boy. My heir," Anatoly said, voice quaking just a bit as he pulled a gun out of his holster. China White followed his lead, stepping away from Felicity and standing with her arm stretched out and pointing at Felicity just as Anatoly was doing to him. China White said something in Chinese and the two men that had a hold on him disappeared and went over to move the bodies Oliver had taken down. For China White this was the final act.

"And I never thought that I would be disappointed with you. Not until this day. But I'd rather see you dead than to see you leave the brotherhood," Anatoly said almost regretfully. But Oliver didn't care. The man had said his piece. Oliver said his piece. All that mattered now was survival.

"Then you will have to kill me, uncle," Oliver said as he shifted his weight slightly forward. If he timed it right then he could at least save Felicity. His eyes were steadily on China White and surprisingly enough…her eyes weren't on Felicity. They were on Anatoly.

"So be it," Anatoly said sadly. Oliver could hear the click of the safety being taken off and the slight tightening of his voice, "You and your beloved will have the same fate. Goodbye, my boy."

China White took the safety off and Oliver braced his arms. "I made a mistake of not killing you years ago. I won't make that mistake again," China White said, her voice not wavering a bit. He was so close to shooting out of that chair and taking his chances at saving the slowly waking up Felicity that even to him, what happened next surprised him.

China White didn't shoot Felicity. She redirected her arm and shot Anatoly.

The Pakhan's body dropped and China White left Felicity's side to empty her clip, except one, into Anatoly. There was a commotion outside and China White twisted to Oliver quickly, "Thought I was talking to you didn't I?" She turned the gun back to Felicity as the commotion outside continued, shots going off this time, "I wasn't. I should've killed that imp years ago and you were the perfectly opportunity. Bet those are his men causing a commotion. Idiots. I wasn't going to pass it up, even if it was just a spur of the moment thing. Not even for you and your little blonde."

Oliver didn't dare move a muscle as Felicity finally groaned and lifted her head. Her battered and bruised face met his and a tearful sob broke through, "I'm imagining things." Oliver wanted to reach out to her and assure her that it was real. That she had held on. That he was here for her and the nightmare they had been forced into was lying on the floor dead while the other was on her way to swift justice as soon as she headed outside.

For what China White didn't clue into was that if Anatoly's men were outside and had heard the shots…they would have stormed in already. The commotion was not Anatoly's men.

"Don't move Oliver! I'm going to take care of whatever the hell is going on outside and then I'm going to…" China White yelled at the same moment Felicity tried to say his name and the north entrance of the building exploded with light, doors and access routes flying open.

Without only a moment to waste Oliver sprang from his seat and tackled Felicity. It was harsh and it might hurt her but it was efficient. They went down as armed and shielded men entered the building with their guns raised. Neither China White, her men, or the men entering the building backed down and the room became a free for all, shots firing off like crazy as Oliver curled his body around Felicity; protecting her.

Oliver clung to her without looking up as the shots rang out and the bodies fell. When the firing had finally finished he dared look up to see a waste land of Triad around them with men clearly marked as FBI pouring into the room and coming towards them.

He heard the distant shout of his name but it didn't matter as he scrambled off of Felicity and started looking her over. Her eyes were open and focused on him. The mystery voice that he had now identified as John appeared at his side and cut free Felicity's tied limbs. Oliver pulled her gently off the chair and laid her carefully on the ground.

Her resolve to be strong and unyielding broke when Oliver cupped the sides of her face gently and she burst into a smile, wincing seconds after when it tugged on her split lip, "I'm not imagining things. You're here."

Oliver's eyes watered and he nodded quickly, "I'm here baby. It's ok I'm here."

Felicity closed her eyes in relief, grounding herself to him and his presence. The nightmare was over, "I'm safe."

"Yes, you're safe," Oliver assured, kissing her forehead repeatedly. It was a relief to touch her, "They're gone and they can't hurt you. Look, John's here."

"John," Felicity said, opening her eyes and lifting a hand lazily.

John wrapped his fingers around her hand and leaned in closer, "I'm here. I'm glad you're ok. Both of you."

Oliver didn't take his happy and relieved eyes off of her. The bubbling pool of anger and despair had all but disappeared, except the anger for the injuries she still held, "Does anything feel broken? Are you breathing ok?"

Felicity lifted her other hand gently to touch her side, "I think I've got a broken rib or two. They were bruised. She kicked me. Think I'm going to need an ambulance." Her voice actually held a joking hint at the end and Oliver grinned. Only her.

"Glad to see you're ok Queen. I'm on it," a voice said near by and Oliver and John turned to see Quentin standing nearby. The man disappeared to get help while the rest of the Feds checked the rest of the building and the bodies.

"Who was that?" Felicity asked quietly. Oliver had started pushing her soaked hair out of her face. He needed to see all of her.

"It was Quentin," Oliver answered, "Don't worry he just went to get help. I'm going to take care of you Felicity."

Felicity hummed and leaned into Oliver's touch, "Good. I'm sleepy."

Diggle lifted her hand a little and shook his head, "Don't go to sleep Felicity. Hey, your plan worked."

That got her attention. Her eyes became a bit more aware, "It did?"

Diggle nodded and looked at both of them seriously before explaining quietly, "I did as planned. Called Quentin. Struck a deal. I've seen the paperwork. They did it on the drive here. And to top it off they heard everything that China White and Anatoly said. You're still going to have to give a statement but…we're secure and the records will be sealed. We've got immunity."

Felicity and Oliver let out a relieved sigh as the EMT's set up station next to them with a stretcher. They knew they still had miles to go. They knew that Oliver was now the Pakhan. But they were one step closer to being free of the Bratva. Being free of The Crow.

The EMT's made quick work of checking Felicity out under the watchful eye of Oliver, John, (and surprisingly enough) Quentin. Oliver stuck to her like glue as they found that she had indeed broken a rib, twisted her ankle and had a concussion. They weren't left alone to speak at the scene, the ambulance, or when they admitted her to the hospital. Their first moment truly alone together was when they put Felicity in a high-end private room next door to Roy's.

With Diggle at their door and before Sara could jump her in relief, Oliver and Felicity fell into each other; Oliver's face tucked into her neck as she ran her hand over the back of his head. Both felt like they could finally breath in each other's arms.

Felicity broke the silence, "Roy's really ok?" When Oliver had told her that Roy was alive and kicking Felicity had held onto his hand the tightest she'd ever done and cried a few happy tears for him. She would have been heartbroken if he was gone.

"He's really ok. They were scared for a bit but he's stable now," he whispered against the skin of her neck. He was standing aka leaning over with an arm thrown over waist, wary of her ribs.

"And the Feds were told?"

"That I was desperate. That I wouldn't have survived if anything had happened to you. That I was lured out there after you were taken and Roy was shot. The abuse suffered by Anatoly and his threats to kill you and Raisa played through perfectly with what happened tonight. The money laundered was solely because I was afraid of so many people losing their jobs and your deaths."

"And China White shooting Anatoly? You're the Pakhan now," Felicity stated sleepily. They had her on an assortment of drugs that made it so she was nodding off already.

He pulled away from her neck and kissed her cheek. With the medicine and bath that they had given her she looked better even though she said she felt like a truck had hit her. A pale truck that used to be China White. The woman had been a bullet-ridden mess when both of them had caught a glance of her dead body on the way out of the warehouse.

"Don't worry about that right now. Next part is going just as planned. Slade is coming," Oliver said, gently tucking her hair behind her ears. He looked down, suddenly feeling shy and overwhelmed by the soothing relief he felt in her presence, "I just…you scared the life out of me. I'm happy you're ok."

Felicity returned his sentiment. She had kept her hope alive that Oliver would find her and he did. And the relieving ache that she felt inside of her was a continuous and growing thing. Looking into the blue eyes of the man she loved she said, "I'm not letting you out of my sight for days."

Oliver kissed her lips gently. His mouth lingered and he promised, "I'm not letting you out of my sight ever."

Felicity wished she didn't have to hold back the beaming smile she felt inside at his words but the doctor had just stitched her lip up. Instead she scooted over and patted the area next to her. Oliver jumped up on the bed and carefully laid an arm around her before tucking himself close and resting his head next to hers.

It had killed him to see the car flipped over, her body tied to that chair, and the bruises and cuts that marred her skin. But they were safe now and his destiny and Felicity's was in their own hands. This was where he was meant to be, wrapped around her and protecting her from ever being hurt again, "Not now."

What she had experienced tonight was something that wouldn't soon leave her mind and her body had the signs of what she'd experienced. But they had hard evidence backing them now. And they free from a past that hurt them both. Now they could be together on their own terms. This is where she was meant to be, "Not ever."

* * *

**A/N: Ding dong the witches are dead! Were you guys freaking out like we were? We want to thank every single one of you for sticking with us through this crazy long and hard journey. We have one more chapter to go!**

**On a side note, still experimenting on all sort so smut so come on over: .com ! (remove parentheses) **

**Love, **

**PoisonAngelMuse &amp; TheAlternativeSource**


	20. Photograph

**The Crow Chapter 20 – Photograph**

**Disclaimer:** We own nothing but our plot and our own characters. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to DC Comics and CW Television. All rights over this idea and its concepts belong to us. This work is intended for the private enjoyment of the reader and is not to be shared on any other sites (besides AO3 and FF) or events without our express permission.

* * *

**A/N: A couple months ago we started on a great journey to bring some Bratva Oliver and Goth Felicity loving to you. It snow balled out of control and we met great people, got awesome feedback and contributed to the amazing community that is Olicity. **

**We want to thank each one of you for the amazing support and love! It always amazes us that so many of you care for our work. Thank you all!**

**We will spend the hiatus taking a break from writing (We wrote #Demons, #BrokenArrows and #TheCrow, going non stop for over a year. We need some time off). We will focus later this year in publishing Broken Arrows as a book. We hope you will also join us in this journey into taking our work into the next level!**

**As always, the links for the Polyvore sets are on PoisonAngelMuse profile page.**

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**Link for The Crow Soundtrack - /lyra-aureus/the-crow-official-soundtrack**

**Enjoy!**

**Music – Photograph by Ed Sheeran**

* * *

_Loving can hurt  
Loving can hurt sometimes  
But it's the only thing  
That I know_

_And when it gets hard_  
_You know it can get hard sometimes_  
_It is the only thing that makes us feel alive_

_We keep this love in a photograph_  
_We made these memories for ourselves_  
_Where our eyes are never closing_  
_Hearts are never broken_  
_And times are forever frozen still_

_So you can keep me_  
_Inside the pocket_  
_Of your ripped jeans_  
_Holdin' me closer_  
_Til our eyes meet_  
_You won't ever be alone_  
_Wait for me to come home_

_Loving can heal_  
_Loving can mend your soul_  
_And is the only thing_  
_That I know (know)_  
_I swear it will get easier_  
_Remember that with every piece of ya_  
_And it's the only thing we take with us when we die_

_We keep this love in a photograph_  
_We make these memories for ourselves_  
_Where our eyes are never closing_  
_Our hearts were never broken_  
_And times forever frozen still_  
_So you can keep me_  
_Inside the pocket_  
_Of your ripped jeans_  
_Holdin' me closer_  
_Till our eyes meet_  
_You won't ever be alone_

_And if you hurt me_  
_Well that's ok baby only words bleed_  
_Inside these pages you just hold me_  
_And I won't ever let you go_

_Wait for me to come home_  
_Wait for me to come home_  
_Wait for me to come home_  
_Wait for me to come home_

_Oh you can fit me_  
_Inside the necklace you got when you were 16_  
_Next to your heartbeat_  
_Where I should be_  
_Keep it deep within your soul_

_And if you hurt me_  
_Well that's ok baby only words bleed_  
_Inside these pages you just hold me_  
_And I won't ever let you go_

_When I'm away_  
_I will remember how you kissed me_  
_Under the lamppost_  
_Back on 6th street_  
_Hearing you whisper through the phone_  
_Wait for me to come home_

* * *

The days following Felicity's kidnapping and Roy's shooting went by in a flash.

Oliver was always by Felicity's side, never letting her leave his sight, watching her, making sure she was safe and well. The hours that she had been kidnapped had been the most horrifying he had spent after his family's murder and he hadn't been that afraid in years. He couldn't picture a world without her in it and the idea of losing her was unbearable. So he stood like a hawk by her side, always vigil, always ready to step up and fight for her with his life if he had to. After all, China White might be dead, but there were still members of The Triad in Starling City.

He was overreacting. He knew that. She knew that. But the rational side of him wouldn't stop even if she were safe. He couldn't stop picturing her broken and bloody body, tied to that chair while he watched, frozen. He couldn't stop thinking about all the pain she'd felt at the hands of Anatoly and China White. He couldn't stop thinking about what could have happened to her if the Feds hadn't come to their rescue.

That terrible day was Oliver's worst nightmare come to life and that was not something he would get over easily. No, Oliver would carry that day with him for the rest of his life as a reminder of how easily he could have lost the most important person in his life.

So yes, he was acting like an over protective and worried boyfriend. Which drove Felicity crazy but also filled her with a warmth that she never wanted to let go of. She loved that he was overprotective and watchful even though he practically didn't even let her go to the bathroom alone. Which she jabbed him in the shoulder and told him that she was alright and could go to the bathroom alone. She had proved to herself and to the world that she was going to fight for her family and the new life that she had here with Oliver. China White's kidnapping and the things that followed would haunt her dreams for months but it was a comforting balm to know that Oliver was there to walk her through this. Even if it was in that horribly uncomfortable chair because he didn't want to irritate her healing ribs.

Oliver had asked John to bring Felicity her favourite foods (doctor approved of course), her pillow and her comfortable pj's. Oliver also made sure she had her tablet so she could distract herself with Netflix and work stuff. He called her mom to assure her that Felicity was all right, making sure to convince Donna to stay in Las Vegas, as Felicity wouldn't want her to lose her job or miss more classes because of her. But the truth of it all was that Felicity wouldn't be able to handle her mother right now. She just wanted to take it a step at a time and heal.

While Oliver hovered over her, Sara did the same thing with Roy that occupied the room next door. She had to make sure that Roy would stay down as he was hyperactive and couldn't stand the idea of spending the entire day in bed, no matter how much his body ached and how weak he still felt. Of course that was the perfect opportunity for everyone to meet Roy's mysterious girlfriend, Mia Dearden. The young blonde attached herself to Roy's side, promising to take care of him but also killing him if he scared her like that again. It only served to make Sara laugh as the young couple embraced, enjoying seeing this other side of Roy Harper. The whipped side.

Since Felicity couldn't get up and see this all and Oliver wouldn't leave her side, Sara had taken a video for her and laughed along with her for ages. Felicity was relieved to know that Roy was recuperating from his gunshot wound. He was the closest thing she had to a young brother, and it pained her to know that he was hurt because someone wanted to get to her. The hours that she spent thinking he was dead were painful; thinking that she had lost another member of her family because of China White, that she was impotent to stop the wrath of the vile woman. That's why during the time Oliver actually chilled out and Mia left, Felicity spent it texting the man; poking fun at him and comparing what kind of food they'd managed to sneak in.

This was the aftermath of the destruction that China White and Anatoly had reined upon them and there was no going back. It was the end of that part of their life.

When they had arrived at the hospital and checked her in days earlier, Diggle, Oliver's lawyers and Quentin dealt with the Feds and the DEA. But they had needed a statement from the remaining member of the Queen family. And even for that he wouldn't leave Felicity's side.

Oliver told them about his father's involvement with the Bratva, something that ended up leading to his family's death and his association with it as well. He told them about seeing Anatoly as the only family he had left when he was a child, something that the Russian man had used to manipulate the young Oliver to his will. How he had grown up in a house filled with violence, terror and coercion. How he used to threaten Raisa, the only mother figure that Oliver had left if he didn't agree to let Queen Consolidated launder the Bratva's dirty money. How he thought he would be free of the Bratva when he moved back to Starling City, only to have Anatoly hold him hostage in his own home, with Bratva men all around it, all faithful to the Pakhan. He told the Feds that this was how John Diggle, Sara Lance and Roy Harper had gotten involved with all of this. He told them about how the three members of his personal security team were the only ones that Oliver felt he could trust inside his own home. Oliver told them how Anatoly swore to torture and kill both Raisa and Felicity if he didn't do as the Bratva leader commanded. That he lived in a constant state of fear and panic. A prisoner of his own life.

He continued the tale with Felicity finding out that the Triad was involved in human trafficking and that a company that worked with QC was behind it all. Oliver thought enough was enough. He wouldn't allow those people to get away with their crimes any longer. With Felicity and Sara's help they approached Detective Lance with the information they had found, hoping to find a way to end the nightmare once and for all. But while the investigation was going, Anatoly somehow found out about their plan and in retaliation he decided to join forces with China White and torture and kill Felicity. He wanted to teach any who dared cross him that this is what happened, even to someone that was part of his family.

Oliver, in his desperation to get the woman he loved back, ended up finding out the location of their whereabouts and went after her in hopes of convincing Anatoly to let her go. There he ended up getting into a fight with some of the Triads men, some getting hurt and being finished off by China White. He then told them that Anatoly said that he would kill both him and Felicity, since he had betrayed him and the Bratva by deciding to go to the authorities. The leader of the brotherhood also admitted knowing that the Triad had been the one responsible for the murder of Oliver's family. When China White killed Anatoly the Feds had broken in and thwarted China White in the process.

Oliver and Felicity were relieved when they were told that the Feds had caught the tail end of the kidnapping and that everything matched up to what was being said in the statement. Detective Lance tied it off all together with a pretty little bow by confirming that everything was true and sealing their immunity deal while the FBI and the DEA investigated the Bratva's activities on US soil.

All they needed was for Slade to arrive and explain as to how some of the leads the Feds were going after in QC had already dried up. Without a doubt the man had taken control of the Bratva until he could speak with Oliver.

* * *

A few days after the Feds inquiry and disappearance to follow Bratva leads, Felicity and Roy were still in the hospital and ready to be signed out in a couple hours.

Oliver was dropping off some of Felicity's things in the car sitting in the hospital underground parking garage, while John kept her company, when a familiar face stepped out of the shadows a couple cars over. The figure stepped back into the shadows and Oliver followed him into the dark alcove nearby. He had been dreading and looking forward to this moment for days.

"It took you long enough," Oliver said, resting his back against the wall next to the man, "I thought you would be here days ago."

"There has been some upheaval back home, Pakhan," Slade answered, slipping his hands into his jacket and peering over at him as if to say 'because you were nowhere to be found', "I had to deal with pulling business out of Starling City before I could come here."

"What happened to, 'Hey, Kid'"? Oliver teased back. He wanted to start off the conversation easy. This would be one of the last times he saw his brother and it wouldn't be easy on either on them.

"It was before you became the leader of the brotherhood," Slade whispered with a smirk, "How is Ms. Smoak?"

"She's recuperating. She was hurt pretty badly…but she will be fine," Oliver answered; the relief clear in his voice as he returned the smirk with a smile of his own.

"I'm glad to hear. She's a fighter. She has a lot of fire in her," Slade said with a small smile, almost as if he was proud of her. Oliver needed someone strong and full of fire by his side.

"That she does," Oliver said. She was a survivor. His warrior. "But I've got a feeling that you're not here to inquire about my girlfriends wellbeing. Well I know you aren't."

"News travels fast. You know that. Anatoly's death is known by all the brotherhood. They needed a leader and you were not there. You were not coming."

"We both know why," Oliver said bitterly.

"You are the Pakhan. The brotherhood needs to know there is someone at the top of the chain of command. I held things together but they need leadership."

"You are my second in command. That should be enough," Oliver said shortly, pinching the bridge of his nose. Slade understood deep inside somewhere that he wasn't coming back but he was too much of a loyal member of Bratva to take control himself.

"Anatoly's death destabilized everything Oliver. They know the Feds are over the Bratva business in America. I have pulled out what I could with Isabel. But the men are on edge about staying here."

"They should be. The FBI and the DEA have opened up an official investigation on the Bratva. They know the connection between the brotherhood and the Triad. They know the connection between the Bratva and QC," Oliver explained. He wished he could tell Slade absolutely everything but he couldn't. That's not how it was going to work, "Anatoly only made it worse by coming in and kidnapping Felicity with China White. They've put me in a position where I can't even move an inch."

"Fuck," Slade cursed. "Laundering money through QC was a thriving business," Slade said, moving his hand over his beard, "What are we going to do?"

Oliver had spoken with Felicity about what he was about to say extensively. Oliver began, "We need to send the men back to Russia. The ones that will stay here will be prosecuted."

Slade looked over at him in surprise. The man had finally gotten revenge on the killers of his family and he wasn't taking control as expected, "But if they leave, who will protect you? You are the Pakhan now, Kid. Your life will be even more in danger than ever."

"No, it won't."

"Oliver…"

"There won't be the necessity to protect me, Slade," Oliver said calmly before finally dropping the news on Slade, "Because I'm not the Pakhan."

"What are you talking about?" Slade hissed, trying to keep his voice down to avoid attracting attention if someone happened to pass by. Despite the way that things were going the entire brotherhood knew he was Anatoly's rightful heir, The Crow; that he had been preparing his entire life for this moment.

"I feel….I feel that every choice that I made. That everything that I lived…it brought me right to this moment," Oliver said, making Slade feel even more confused, "I went through hell and back for the past twenty years. I grew into someone that I was not because it was the only way that I could survive."

"Kid…"

"I am free, Slade," Oliver said the words out loud for the first time, his voice not wavering, "For the first time in as long as I can remember I'm free from Anatoly. I am free from Bratva."

"Oliver, you're our leader. The Pakhan. I don't see a way out of this."

"You know what I know, Slade? I finally have something for live for. For years, I was consumed with avenging my family's murder, only to find out that Anatoly knew there would be a hit on my family. He is responsible for their deaths. The man that raised me, which made me into The Crow, he was the one responsible for it."

"Damn kid. Oliver I don't know what to say."

"He had my family's blood all over his hands," Oliver said, holding back a pained gasp, the pain of the news was still too raw, "Not only was he responsible for my family's murder, he knew what China White was going to do with Felicity. He knew she was planning to kill Felicity. But he didn't care; he actually gave her his blessing. Just like he did with my family."

Slade's hands curled into fists. He knew the extent that Anatoly would push things, but this was outrageous, "What? He knew?"

"Do you really think he was there to negotiate Felicity's release?" Oliver said bitterly. "He was there to watch as that devil killed the woman I loved. He wanted to take everything from me. He didn't want me to love anything but the brotherhood," Oliver hissed, remembering how Slade had warned him about it when he was in Russia with Felicity, "His death along with China Whites, avenges what he did to my family. What they both did to Felicity. I'm at peace now. I can move on with my life."

"I'm sorry," Slade said, knowing exactly how horrifying Oliver's life had been. His own life matched his in many ways, "But that still…"

"Do you remember that once you also decided to leave the brotherhood? To start a new life with Shado? Or did you forget about her already?"

"Of course not! I won't ever forget about the love of my life," Slade shot back, the words pained, even after ten years.

"Don't you think it was suspicious that a day before you went to leave, that she was run over by a car?" Oliver said, making Slade clench his jaw. They hadn't talked about this in years, "Don't you think the timeframe was suspicious?"

"Are you trying to say that Anatoly was the one behind Shado's death? Is that it?" Slade asked, anger rising off of him. He turned to face Oliver.

Oliver placed a comforting hand on Slade's shoulder, "All I know is that Anatoly always made it clear that one day you would be my second in command. That he raised you, just as much as he did with me. He wouldn't let you leave. His precious code would never allow it. So he terminated your only reason to leave the brotherhood. Just like he tried to do with Felicity."

"No," he said with a grunt as he shrugged Oliver's hand off. The idea of losing Shado in the hands of Anatoly too much for him to bear.

"We both know it's the truth, Slade. We just didn't want to accept it. We didn't want to accept that it was all for nothing," Oliver said, as Slade closed his eyes, pressing a hand against the cold concrete wall, pain filling his features, "I'm sorry, Slade."

"I shouldn't have pursued her. I shouldn't have dared. She would still be alive if not for me," Slade said, trying to hold back the aching and the fury that was building inside of him. It was like his eyes were being opened to something he had missed for years, "Loving her was to sentence her to death."

"What happened to Shado was not your fault. You loved her. You wanted to have a life with her outside of the Bratva. It shouldn't be considered a crime by some ridiculous code," Oliver assured, as Slade closed his eyes in pain, "And that is exactly what I want for me. To build a life outside of the brotherhood. A life with the woman that I love. The life that I deserve. The life that had been taken from me when I was just a child."

"They won't allow you. The brotherhood…"

"They will. If the new Pakhan says its so. If he sets me free from the code because of my years of service."

Slade blinked his eyes open and stared at Oliver. "The new Pakhan? You mean…"

"The only man that I would trust my life with. The only one I have trusted since I was a kid," Oliver completed calmly, letting the words really sink in.

"Me?" Slade questioned, pointing at himself, "You want me to lead the Bratva?"

"There is no other man that could do it better than you. You have already done a good job pulling business out of Starling City. You grew up in the brotherhood. You learned everything that I did. You are strong and fair. A leader," Oliver said evenly, "You've got what it takes to be the Pakhan."

"They won't simply accept it. It's not how the brotherhood works," Slade said, still shocked with what Oliver was offering.

"The Bratva will do what is best for the brotherhood. The Feds will be watching me closely from now on. I lost all my contacts in the US. Not to mention that Queen Consolidated won't ever be able to be a front for money laundering. It is dangerous to maintain my connection to the brotherhood. Talking to you is already putting in jeopardy the plan that I had for you."

"Which plan?" Slade asked, curious.

"You have a very able fiancé. A Bratva daughter. The perfect woman to wed the Pakhan," Oliver reasoned. Slade raised an eyebrow at him at the kind words at Isabel and he explained, "I may not like Isabel, but she is very good at what she does. She has a wicked mind and a natural instinct for business. With the software that Felicity developed, you and her can work the laundering in any front company that you choose from. I would recommend a small European country, to stay away from the Triad business as much as possible. But I am sure the two of you can think of the perfect front for it."

"You are serious about this, Kid?" Slade asked him, crossing his arms across his chest and shifting a little.

"If I didn't have the Feds on my neck I would go to Moscow to do the announcement myself. But it would only jeopardize everything. But I will call a meeting through a secure line with the other high hacking members of the brotherhood. All you have to do is say yes."

"I never desired for this. I never saw myself as the leader of the Bratva," Slade said honestly and Oliver knew he had chosen the right man.

"I know that. Which makes you perfect for it. You said yourself that a life in the brotherhood is all you know. That it was because of this that you accepted marrying Isabel. You are a leader. You won't act on greed or rage, but with your head. You will take the brotherhood where Anatoly never could."

"You seem pretty sure of that."

"That is because I know my brother. I know the kind of man he is," Oliver said with conviction, knowing that by choosing to leave the Bratva, he would chose to leave Slade behind as well forever. There would be no ties left with the man besides calls through secure lines sporadically.

With a shaky breath, Slade offered his hand to Oliver, pulling him into a brotherly hug. There would be no changing Oliver's mind when it was set. Both knew it. "Then your brother will do this. For you. For Felicity. For the life you two will have. For the life that was taken from me and Shado."

"For Felicity and Shado," Oliver agreed, patting Slade on the back.

"For Felicity and Shado," Slade said, voice full of a tumble of feelings; longing, sadness, and acceptance.

They stood silent for a few seconds; enjoying the last seconds of their partnership, of their brotherhood. With a nod, Slade moved away from Oliver and further into the shadows and towards the exit, where he no doubt had a car.

"I will do as you asked. I will be the Pakhan. I will lead the brotherhood."

"Thank you."

Slade pulled out his phone and checked it, "I have enough time before my flight leaves to pull men from Starling City. The Bratva men will leave the perimeters of the Queen Mansion. Replacement security needs to be found."

"Done," Oliver agreed. He would have John look into securing the house immediately. From what he knew, John had plenty of contacts to find suitable and trustworthy security. "I would like to ask for Raisa to remain with me at the mansion. She and Nicholai actually. They are…family."

"I am sure Raisa will like staying by your side. The cook as well," Slade said with a small smile. Oliver exhaled in relief, "Your protection, as well as those around you will be guaranteed, as long as you vow to remain silent about the brotherhood from this day forward. To swear on your life."

"Yes, Pakhan," Oliver said with respect, the words falling off his lips for the first time. They felt right and both could feel it, "I swear on my life."

"The Bratva will be leaving Starling City and will no longer be in contact with you. You are no longer a part of this brotherhood. No longer a Bratva Captain. No longer The Crow."

"Yes, Pakhan," Oliver said with a hint of sadness, knowing that this was it. This was the end. He and Slade would never see each other again. The Crow would be disappearing off with him to never return.

"Goodbye, Kid," Slade said. He gave in and pulled his brother into another hug, which Oliver returned eagerly. Slade spoke lowly, "If anything should occur where you need my help do not hesitate to call me brother."

The word brother was not said in the way of the Bratva. It was said in the way of family, friendship. Oliver pulled back and they held each other at arms length, "Ok. I'll make the call as soon as possible. Keep me updated. Even if I am not part of the Bratva and we shall not see each other…check in every once in a while."

Slade stepped back and nodded, "Until then Oliver."

Oliver's smile was small and final, "Until then Slade."

He stood there and watched as his oldest friend melted back into the darkness. The man that did for him what no one else could do. The man that saved his life, over and over again. The man that made him into a warrior. The man that took all his darkness and carried it along with him. The man that gave him everything. And this time, Slade gave him back all the things that Anatoly had stolen by taking on the role of Pakhan. He gave him a chance at a new life.

He took a couple minutes and stood there in the dark, saying farewell to Slade and the life that was no longer his. Saying goodbye to the Triad and the Bratva, that were no longer dangers he had to carry. Saying goodbye to The Crow, that no longer had its talons dug into him despite the tattoo still on his chest. He said goodbye to it all.

Oliver Queen was finally free.

* * *

Hours later Oliver was finally able to take both Felicity and Roy back to the mansion. With all the Bratva men long gone, the house was quiet, empty, but somehow it never felt more like a home that it did in that moment.

Diggle had hired a small group of trustworthy and highly recommended men to work as the new security team until John could hire a full fledged one. All were good men that had once belonged to the army just like John Diggle. For the first time in a very long time, Oliver actually felt safe coming home.

Raisa was now officially living with them at the mansion and had moved into the west wing, into the room that had once belonged to Felicity. In the time that they were gone she had taken control of the house and erased any sign of Anya or the Bratva in their home with the help of Nicholai. She and Nicholai were the only reminders in the home that the Bratva ever existed. But Raisa...brought back the sense of family that Oliver had missed.

As the days passed the house felt warmer, safer and happier because of it.

Raisa had a natural motherly instinct, and she'd suddenly become almost like a second mother to the entire group. She would cook Diggle's favourite meals, make sure to keep Sara's favourite ice cream in the fridge for when she was feeling down, she was the one that helped Oliver keep in check with his meals and she had used her loud voice once or twice when they wouldn't listen to reason. She was even helping taking care of Roy and Felicity, which was harder than expected, as Roy wasn't very happy with the doctor's order to remain on bed rest for the next two weeks, since his surgery had been complicated and he almost had died.

Felicity on the other hand loved to spend so much time with Raisa. The older woman quickly found a place inside Felicity's heart, and the blonde enjoyed being taken care by this motherly figure. Raisa was like a mother to Oliver, and while Felicity knew that she would never replace Oliver's parents, she considered Raisa her mother-in-law. It was another addition into the family that made her happy.

That's not to say that everything was perfect. Felicity thought that overprotective Oliver was a loving hurdle that she could survive. But now that they were free from the hospital John, Sara, Raisa and Oliver had teamed up on her to make sure that she stayed in bed until she was better.

That's how she found herself being tucked into bed by Oliver and Raisa at the first sign of Felicity rubbing her eyes and looking tired.

"There, now you rest," Raisa said while putting an extra blanket over Felicity's legs. Felicity's ankle still ached in the cold and the woman knew it without being told.

"Raisa you don't need to trouble yourself. Oliver is already doing enough of that," Felicity said, moving to rest against the pillows that Oliver was tucking underneath her head, sides, and ankle. Oliver rolled his eyes at her stubbornness.

"Felicity," Oliver said, tired of getting in the same argument. Felicity was strong and independent and she didn't particularly liked to depend on others. She wasn't being difficult like Roy, but she also didn't want to be a burden to people. Not that she was, but she was stubborn and denied liking that she was being taken care of.

"Felicity, you are still hurt," Raisa argued with a motherly tone that warmed Felicity's heart, and even through she was tired of people hovering her, she couldn't ask Raisa to stop anymore. "Let us take care of you. We do it because we love you," Raisa said, moving down to sit next to her on the bed while Oliver nodded in agreement.

"I know that," Felicity whispered, moving her hands against the thick blanket, "But you guys don't have to worry about me. I'm ok. I feel better. Ribs don't ache that much."

"Still, you know the doctor said for you to take it easy for the next couple of weeks," Oliver said, handing her a glass so she could take her meds. Raisa followed with the correct pills. She even had that organized.

"You must rest," Raisa said with finality.

"Ok ok. Thank you," Felicity said after finishing her glass of water, "I'll be healed in no time with you two hovering about."

"You better believe it," was Oliver's quick reply.

A soft knock on the open door made them all look towards the door, where Nicholai was holding a large tray filled with food, "Ms. Smoak, I brought you and Mr. Queen supper."

"Thank you, Nicholai," Raisa said with a smile, while the older Russian put the tray on the side table that stood next to the bed.

"Look at that, soup," Felicity said with a slight annoyance at the soup and not Nicholai's nice gesture. She had been eating only liquid foods because of her sore throat (thanks to Anatoly and China White). She had been dying for something different, even though she knew she had to stick with it for a few more days.

"I do happen to like soup," Oliver hummed, moving to grab his bowl and sitting next to Felicity on an armchair he'd deposited there a couple days ago. Felicity gave him a small frown that clearly said 'traitor'.

"That's my boy," Raisa said with an agreeing nod. Oliver ate his meal and made a show of it until Felicity sighed and took her bowl. "I'll go check on Roy. Then I'll go to bed," Raisa said, getting up from the bed, kissing both Felicity and Oliver on the head, "Goodnight my darlings."

"Goodnight," they called after the woman as she left the room with Nicholai.

Oliver and Felicity ate in a comfortable silence. When they were done, Oliver put their empty bowls back on the side table tray.

"Are you tired?" he asked her.

"Not really," Felicity half lied, resting against the pillows. She felt a little sleepy from the meds, "I feel all I have done lately is eat and sleep."

Oliver huffed in laughter and rounded the bed. "Seems good to me," Oliver said with a smile.

Felicity stuck out her tongue at him. "You won't love me anymore when I'm fat from staying in this bed forever," she joked.

"I will love you no matter what," Oliver said, eyes following her tongue but squashing any thought of ravishing her because her ribs were still healing. He slid into bed next to her and curled an arm around her waist, "But you won't stay in bed forever. You know you need a few more days for your ankle. And longer for your ribs."

"I know," she said with a pout, "I'm just tired of doing nothing all day."

"And here I was thinking you would enjoy marathoning that new show they just put up on Netflix. The one with the guy that can't see," Oliver said with a smirk, making Felicity roll her eyes at him and shove his hand off her stomach. Oliver just slid it back to place and tucked his face into her neck.

"It's unfair for you to use my love for Netflix like that," she joked.

"I am well aware."

They lay there for a few moments, just enjoying each other, just enjoying feeling their heartbeats beating together. Oliver kissed the skin of her neck and Felicity tipped her head to rest against his.

Her hand came up to lace with his and she said, "Oliver?"

"Yeah, baby?" he mumbled against her skin.

"Are we going to be ok, now?" she asked him. He pulled back and she avoided his eyes until he kissed her chin and she couldn't resist anymore. She looked.

Oliver kissed her mouth this time, "Why are you asking me this?"

"I…"

"Fe-li-ci-ty," he stressed out, peppering her mouth with kisses until she laughed and pushed him away gently.

"It just seems too good to be true," she said with a shrug, "After everything we have been through, I guess I'm afraid to believe that it's all over. That we're free."

"Felicity, we are free," Oliver assured, bringing their hands up so he could place the gentlest of kisses there. They hadn't had this talk yet, "There is nothing holding us back anymore. There is no Bratva. No Triad. No darkness. We can do anything we want. We can be anyone we want. This is the beginning of the rest of our lives."

"Who knew my broody boyfriend would turn into the optimistic one," Felicity said with a small teasing smile. He was right. This was the beginning. The scary, oh my god, we're really doing this beginning.

"I have you. That was all I wanted. I don't need anything else," he said, softly grazing his lips over their joined hands. His words rang true and calmed her heart and mind, "All I want is to spend the rest of my life with you by my side. Nothing else matters."

"I love you, Oliver," she said, bringing their hands to her mouth this time.

He trailed after her and softly kissed her lips, "I love you too."

"Even when I'm old and grey?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. Oliver chuckled and settled back down into the skin of her neck, their joined hands on her stomach.

"I will love you always. No matter what. No matter what happens. I won't ever stop."

"Not now?" she mumbled sleepily.

"Not ever."

* * *

A couple months passed and with it came grand change.

The Triad left Starling City after a multitude of raids destroyed their businesses. With the accompanying loss of their properties and the death of their leader, China White, they had decided that a move was best. So they moved away, to what Slade informed them, closer prospects to get revenge against the Bratva. Apparently they believed that the retreat of Bratva from Starling City was confirmation that Cooper Sheldon was actually working with the Bratva. That he was the reason that their business had collapsed.

Now onto the Bratva. They seldom heard from Slade. A small greeting here or there during the holidays. Always through the most private of networks since they didn't want to raise any suspicions that the Bratva was anywhere near Starling City. Business in Russia had been thriving under the guiding hand of Slade and Isabel and neither Oliver or Felicity were surprised at the Pakhan strength and the strength of his partner. The two were a powerhouse to be feared and would guide the Bratva on a unique path for sure.

Back in Starling City things were going more than well. They were perfect.

They felt like they could breathe and actually figure out what they were going to do and the kind of people they were going to be without the Bratva or Triad in their lives.

Oliver began filling his life with...colour. Not literal colour. He still loved his greys, blues and blacks for his suits and had that secret smile just for Felicity. But he filled his life with new things. He started looking into new projects for QC, with Walters help in London, to improve and build on Queen Consolidated. It had gotten to the point where he was able to stabilize QC and the money it had lost from money laundering with these new ventures in technology, medicine, clean energy and security with John, Roy and Sara. Oliver had also taken a liking to going out on drives more often. A couple times a week he would go out with Felicity on his motorcycle or new sports car to take in the scenery up and down the West Coast.

The most surprising thing that came for Oliver was that he started rekindling his relationship with Tommy. It wasn't a huge rekindling. Just a cup of coffee here or there where they talked about what they were doing in their lives. They never touched up on the past. And they hadn't gotten to the point where they felt comfortable enough to invite Felicity and Laurel. But it was a start.

Felicity also began filling her life with new things. She'd given up hacking and thrown herself head first into the Advanced Sciences department. In a couple months time she'd become the head of the department with no contention because...she was good. No she was more than good. She was brilliant according to her employees in the department. They had started doing projects and contracts with companies they never thought QC would even agree to. They became one of the leading departments in the company.

The most surprising thing that Felicity had done was help her mother move to Starling City. For months they talked on the phone and video chatted when possible. And she could feel something new and bright and oh so different begin to grow between them. She felt the love and the change that Donna Smoak had desperately wanted to give and prove to her. Out of nowhere Felicity was the one to ask her mother to move to Starling City. She wanted to spend time with her mother and Donna did with her. A week after Felicity proposed the move Donna Smoak was in Starling City in an apartment that she herself had rented over a coffee shop that she herself planned to run.

Felicity was proud of her mother.

The end of the Triad and the Bratva breathed even more life into Oliver and Felicity's relationship. They were more raw and open with each other. Showing the other the soft underbelly of the things that had plagued them. They also began exploring the regular side of being a couple. Holding hands, going out to restaurants (without the threat of being shot upon) and surprisingly enough they had a date day set up where it was just them all day, lazing about.

More than once a week they had dinner with Raisa, whom they found out got into the country with Nicholai's help. Raisa would cook these big elaborate meals and would invite everyone. John and his new wife Lyla. Sara and Nyssa, who had just moved in together. Roy and Mia, who were now engaged. And Donna, who when she met Quentin Lance at her coffeshop and at the mansion for their family dinner, quickly became Donna and Quentin; attached at the hip and lips. It was weird for Felicity and Oliver to see them like that but...they were all happy.

Oliver and Felicity fell even more in love with each other and with the life they had built around them with their friends and loved ones. And they felt that the dark shell around them built by the Triad and Bratva was slowly peeled away day by day.

"Oliver, I'm home!" Felicity said as she entered their room. She'd had a tiring day and all she wanted to do was lay down with Oliver and forget about the day. Slipping her shoes off she fiddled with her phone for a bit, "You'll never believe what I saw today, again. Went to visit mom at her shop and it was ridiculously busy. Apparently word has gotten out that Felicity Smoak, girlfriend of Oliver Queen, which I don't like because even though I am your girlfriend they could say 'head of Applied Sciences at Queen Consolidated'. Anyway...what was I saying? Oh yeah. Apparently word has gotten around that I get my coffee there almost every morning, even when I personally can't come to get it myself. I suggested to mom that she should open up a second..."

Felicity stopped talking at the sight in front of her. The bed was covered with rose petals and Oliver was standing off in their sitting area impeccably dressed. He'd also gotten rid of the couches and coffee table to replace it with a two-person dinner table.

Oliver's face lit up at the sight of her, "Hi."

Felicity's grin matched his, "Hi. What's this?"

Oliver had the nerve to act like he wasn't standing there looking…delectable, "What's what?"

Felicity dropped her bag on the floor near the bed and pointed behind him, "That...all the stuff behind you. Are all the couches gone? Did you make me dinner?"

"And lined the bed with roses," Oliver replied with a nod as she slowly approached him.

"You did. And you look really…handsome. Edible honestly," Felicity observed, her eyes trailing his body. Oliver preened and stood taller, meeting her halfway, "What's the occasion? It's not our one-year anniversary yet. That's not for a couple of weeks."

His hands cupped her face and kissed her in greeting, "No, this is a different anniversary. It's the day we met."

"What?" she asked, face alit with wonder. She knew the day he was talking about. She was just touched that he would want to celebrate it. She hadn't even realized it was 'that' date.

Oliver's hands ran down to rest on her waist and he clarified, "The day you broke into my house and propositioned me."

"Propositioned sounds dirty," Felicity said without realizing it and Oliver laughed.

He'd been planning this day for weeks. Going through multiple plans, some extravagant, to finally settle on this. Something simple, intimate. "It is. I wanted...to celebrate today as the day that you came into my life and I into yours. I know it wasn't a good time in your life and that things were falling apart. But if you hadn't broken into my...our home, then we wouldn't have this," Oliver said, before looking down at her almost shyly, "I wouldn't have you."

Felicity cupped his face and he leaned into it. She was at a lose of words as she blinked back tears, "Oh Oliver. You...just...thank you."

She pressed her mouth against his and melted into him.

His arms wrapped around her, "You're welcome."

Felicity popped his collar a bit and fiddled with it, "I'm glad I broke in."

"Me too."

"Even if I messed up your carpet and scared the crap out of you?" Felicity asked with a raised eyebrow.

Oliver rolled his eyes and gave her a fond look, "Even then."

Felicity tried to peek over his shoulder, "So...what'd you make me?" Felicity said as she peeked around him, "I'm really really hungry."

Oliver released her and urged her forward, "Let's see."

He began pulling the tops off platters on the fanciest dinner setting she had ever seen. She noticed a pattern, "Italian food and are those books?"

"They are. On our first real 'fake' date we didn't have time to eat because of…" Oliver paused and thought of China White. That woman had ruined the first time and she would never get a chance to ruin this, "…obvious reasons and we never did start that book club we talked about."

Felicity went to kiss him again when the smell of the food hit her. Now she had been expecting her stomach to grumble and her mouth to salivate in anticipation. But what had actually happened is that her stomach churned and her eyes widened, "Oh no."

Oliver frowned and asked, "Hey, you ok?"

Felicity covered her mouth and said, "Cover the food."

"What?"

Felicity waved her hand at the food. "The smell. Cover the food please."

He did what she asked of him quickly and efficiently. Turning to her he checked her over before asking, "Done. You ok?"

Felicity nodded, still covering her nose and mouth, "Yeah...just my stomach has been feeling weird lately. I think I caught the flu or something."

Oliver pressed the back of his hand to Felicity's forehead. She had been eating less lately and this had been the second time in a week that something had soured her stomach before she perked up a half an hour later, "Well you don't feel warm."

"No but I…" she hesitated for a moment before pulling her hand away from her face and saying, "…did throw up in Malcolm Merlyn's trashcan when I visited his office today. They had tuna."

"Atta girl," Oliver grinned despite the fact that she'd thrown up. Malcolm Merlyn was a pain.

Felicity laughed and fell into his chest, her cheek pressed to the heartbeat there. "Just been feeling weird lately. I instantly felt better when he took it away. I'm sorry that the smell of your delicious smelling food threw me off. It really did look good."

He ran his hands up and down her arms in a comforting manner, "I even ordered from the best restaurant."

Felicity smacked his chest lightly, "I'm serious."

"I know. And it's ok. I'll just ask Sara to bring us some burgers or something. She's around right now. Is that ok?"

"Yeah that's ok," Felicity agreed.

Oliver pulled away from her to scoop out his phone from his pocket and tucked Felicity back against his chest. He began texting and running his hand down her back, "How you feeling?"

"Still a little weird."

Oliver got a quick confirmation from Sara and put the phone away, "Sara has to finish something real quick and then she'll grab food. Here come with me. I've got another surprise."

He redirected her and they entered their recently redesigned bathroom. Oliver felt a glow of satisfaction inside of him when she paused in the entranceway. He had spent a good amount of time lighting candles and spreading them around the room to give it a warm glow that reflected off of the hot water inside the bathtub. He was hoping that by the time they got done with dinner and let their food settle, they could come here.

Slowly she walked into the room. She was in awe. He'd even picked up some towels and robes for them and had them set next to the tub, "You did this too?"

"Yes. Wanted to make it special," he revealed. Maybe this would make her feel better until their food got there.

Felicity turned to Oliver and smiled, gathering him close to her. The incident in the other room with the food was completely forgotten. She just wanted to be close to the man she loved, "It is. Thank you Oliver."

"You're welcome," Oliver replied. He set his hands on her arms and walked them slowly into the room. He went for the button of her jacket, "You know…plenty of good things have happened in bathrooms for us."

"They have," Felicity replied, biting her lip and following his hands as they took off her jacket and then fiddled with her dress. She swallowed, not knowing if he was going to take that piece off too, "Is something else going to happen soon?"

"Yes it is," Oliver said as his hands left her and he unbuttoned his jacket. He caught the hint of disappointment in her eyes and grinned, "Maybe it'll make you feel better before the food comes. I was hoping to do this after dinner. The water might still be a bit hot."

Not moving her body away from him, Felicity leaned over and dipped her finger into the water. "No, its good," Felicity said. She dipped her hand in, "God, this is perfect Oliver. My muscles have been aching today."

"I'll get in first." Oliver peeled off the jacket slowly. He made his movements long and exaggerated. He wanted her eyes on him as he peeled off his shirt, button by button. He flexed his muscles subtly as he tossed the shirt to the side. Felicity swallowed and her mouth dropped open when he fiddled with his belt and he toed off his shoes. He didn't even give her a chance to touch him as he peeled off his slacks, underwear and socks. He pulled himself over the lip of the tub and settled in with a hiss. The water was really the right temperature to ease anyone's muscles.

Resting his arms on the side he leaned back and said, "Well are you coming?"

Felicity had never undressed faster in her life, her clothes flying off to the side and landing with Oliver's. Piling her hair on top of her head she burned the picture he made into her memory and said, "Yeah I'm coming."

Holding his hands out Oliver helped steady her and bring her down into the hot water. She relaxed back into him with a sigh.

"Better?"

Her eyes drifted closed as the water began to work on her muscles and leaving her all lose and relaxed in his arms, "Much better."

Oliver stepped it up a notch by bringing his hands up and massaging her temples. Felicity practically purred and dropped completely back into Oliver, her expression that of unadulterated relaxation. Her feet scrambled against the bottom of the large tub to press herself further into his hands.

When her feet scratched up against something odd against the bottom of the tub she ran her foot over it until she realized what it was. Eyes flying open she whirled on Oliver, dislodging his hands, "Did you put bathtub decals on the bottom of the tub?"

Oliver grinned without restraint, his face rosy from the water. He'd planned this bit too, "What would you say if I did?"

Felicity drew in closer and draped her arms around his shoulders, "Well we could work on that bathtub sex that you've always wanted to have but I said no because I wanted to make sure we were safe and that when we…went at it you wouldn't slip and fall. Safety first."

His hands traced her back slowly and she shivered in anticipation. Leaning closer to her mouth he replied, "There are towels off to the side as well in case I want to drape you over the lip and take you from behind."

Felicity's eyes widened and she nodded quickly. Gripping his growing hair she tugged his mouth to hers, "Yes, lets do that."

Oliver cemented his hold and brought her flush against him quickly, heated mouth teasing and biting at her lips gently until she let him inside. It only fired Felicity up even more and she straddled his thighs, pressing down on him as he pressed up against her. He was hardening quickly, having thought of pressing her naked and wet body against him with every candle he lit in this room.

Pulling back Felicity ran her mouth over his stubble-lined jaw, "Been thinking about this all day? Planned it out just like I wanted?"

Oliver gasped and threw his head back when she bit into his tender neck, "Yes, for you."

She didn't sooth the skin like he expected her too. No, she started kissing and sucking on the skin there, trying to leave her mark as he keened in pleasure and thrust his hardening length against her.

He shifted her on top of him and asked in a breathy tone, "So, over the lip of the tub?"

She grinned, eyes darkening as she pulled off of him and reached over the lip of the tub for the towel there. Oliver really had planned everything out. Placing the towel against the cold and wide lip of the tub she laid down on it, her breasts now covered while her bottom stood outside of the water. Felicity turned back to look at Oliver and his mouth was open, eyes on her slick skin.

"Oliver," she called out to him and he seemed to snap out of it.

He growled and got on his knees, hands gripping her hips. Unplugging the tub he let some of the water escape and cupped his hands to wash away some of the suds on her bottom, "I'm going to take care of you baby."

Her eyes followed him, body propped up on her elbows. Felicity felt exposed and hot all over, "Promise?"

Oliver's eyes met hers, "Promise."

She wiggled her hips a little and Oliver growled for her to stop. One hand on her hip he stopped the water and cleared off any suds from himself. Pulling her back and down a little he pressed his cock against her entrance. He had to make sure he was slick and soaked with her, so he could slide right in when he was ready.

Felicity's hands gripped the towel as Oliver's ran the length of his cock over her folds. She groaned and he smirked when he pressed inside just a little, mock thrusting against her. He wasn't ready yet but there was nothing wrong with teasing her. He continued to bump at her entrance, running down her slit to tap at her clit before starting again. The noises she made filled him with pride. The sounds echoing off the walls.

Curving her back Felicity got herself more comfortable and said, "Come on Oliver. You're ready."

He gripped her bottom, large hands opening her up to him. His eyes trailed down to her entrance where he pressed in the tip of his cock. If she would look back now she would see his hungry and heated eyes just taking it in, "You sure, baby? I can drag this out."

Felicity shook her head and used her grip to push back into him. She tipped her head forward when he slid a couple more inches into her and she shook in his arms, moaning out, "Oliver!"

His fingers dug into the sensitive skin of her bottom and pulled her onto him, his length disappearing into her hot insides. He was going to wait. Ground himself so he didn't come with the first thrust inside of her. He had been thinking about this all day after all. But she wasn't having any of that. Felicity was the one to make the first move, rolling her hips and shredding any grip on his control.

Pleasured whimpers left Felicity's mouth as he thrust into her, stroking her walls and pressing against every inch of her. The water splashed around their knees and their wet skin snapped against each other with every punishing thrust he bestowed upon her. She trembled and released her grip on the wide lip of the tub to trail a hand down her stomach and tease her clit.

He let her. Knowing that she was pleasuring herself and pushing herself towards her own orgasm, flooded his mind with thoughts of coming inside her tight walls. Gripping her skin and just rocking his hips until she tightened around him and he spilled inside of her. Oliver struggled to control himself as he ran after that thought and every sweet sound he could pull out of her.

Oliver pinned her down with his hands as he deepened his thrusts with no warning. Felicity groaned loudly and pressed herself desperately back into him, meeting each press of his hips with a turn of her own. Their hearts were hammering in their chests and they felt like they were on the cusp of a most memorable orgasm.

Neither had a choice in prolonging this inevitable moment when Oliver shuddered behind her and shifted quickly and sharply to spill inside of her. A rush of pleasure washed over Felicity and she followed right after, still shoving herself back into him and trying to milk him for all he was worth.

He used his grip on her to ground him as he threw his head back and panted, "Fuck...I…god Felicity."

Felicity's arms could no longer hold her up and she collapsed forward and against the towel, "Thank you bathtub decals."

When Oliver laughed and draped himself across her back, she met his searching mouth with hers. She breathed him in and groaned when he slipped out of her. She felt like her nerve endings were on fire and that she wanted Oliver as close to her as possible.

Oliver lazily licked into her mouth before teasing the side of her face with the tip of his nose and kissing her cheek, "We're most definitely doing that again."

There was a rapid vibrating coming from their clothes, interrupting their moment. Heaving a sigh, Felicity leaned down and sifted through the clothes with one hand. She fished it out and laughed at what she read, "Sara said she came around with food and knocked. When she heard me calling out your name she left the food. She said happy anniversary. How'd she know?"

Oliver laughed but shrugged. He settled back into the water and kept his hands on her hips, "She's very punctual, that one."

Felicity replied with a quick 'thank you' and dropped the phone back into the pile of clothes. She eased herself back into the water with Oliver's help, "That she is. I don't want to get out. Can we sit here for a while?"

Oliver pulled her back to his chest and filled the tub back up with warm water. Felicity poured some soap into the water and they sat there enjoying the warmth surrounding them, their hearts finally calming down to a soft lull. They were at peace here.

"Sorry for forgetting our anniversary," Felicity mumbled as she played with the bubbles slowly rising and covering her stomach and breasts.

Oliver nuzzled her neck and brought a pile of bubbles towards them, "You can make it up to me. Our other anniversary is coming around."

Felicity snuggled back into him, "The day we kissed?"

He spoke into her ear, "The day I told you I loved you."

"Ok, don't plan anything on that day," she said, leaning her head against his. A part of her understood that the moment she came into Oliver's life was one of panic and pain, and that's why she forgot. Another part of her felt like she should have kept that moment tucked into her mind. It was the day that had brought her to him. "Leave it to me," Felicity promised before leaning to the side and looking at him playfully, "Unless you planned something already?"

Oliver gave her an innocent smile.

"You did plan something!" she accused.

Oliver leaned down to kiss her, stealing her breath away before challenging her with, "Prove it."

Felicity huffed and turned away from him, settling back into him and saying, "I'll prove it and top whatever gift you've got planned."

Oliver snickered and they settled into a relaxing silence. When the tub was sufficiently filled they turned it off and played around with the bubbles and water; slapping around and splashing each other. At one point they even had beards made out of bubbles that ended up in laughter and making out like teenagers until they couldn't breath anymore.

They loved these moments of intimate leisure filled with opportunities to strengthen their love.

They ended up a tangle of limps with Felicity's back to his chest as she played with his fingers. Oliver couldn't help but saying, "You really are the best thing to have happened to me. You barged into my life and turned it upside down. You never gave up on me even when I was so…pig-headed and cold to you. Sometimes I wonder how you even did it."

"Because I have patience," she answered automatically, still playing with his fingers, "Also...I saw something in you. Even in the beginning when I wanted to kick your ass for being rude...there was something there."

"I'm sorry for that. For being that man."

"Don't be. I love that man. Warts and all. Plus you liked it."

He nipped at her shoulder and felt her jump a bit, "Liked what?"

Felicity laced their fingers together and settled them on her stomach. "Arguing with me," she answered smugly.

Oliver blushed but didn't deny it. Felicity arguing with him had done something to him from the start. Had drawn him in like a moth to a flame, "I did not."

Felicity argued back, "Did too." She liked the arguing too. Even in the beginning she had felt it. Arguing with Oliver was…exhilarating.

Oliver blew into the side of her neck on that spot she still liked and she burst into laughter, "Did not."

Felicity squeezed his thigh in retaliation and ground back into him. He just pushed up against her and mouthed at her shoulder. "So...do you want to head to Verdant later?" Felicity asked.

Oliver was surprised by her question. They hadn't been to Verdant in weeks. The last time had been just for show and partially to hang out with John, Sara and Roy in a non-work setting, "I thought you were tired."

"I am," Felicity said as she turned her body a little to look up and back at Oliver. His mouth chased her shoulder and she took his mouth into a teasing kiss, "I'm not going to drink either because I don't want to even risk messing with my stomach, but if we're going to go for the big hits of our relationship why don't we..."

"Get dressed and go out to people watch?" finished for her with a chuckle, "We haven't done that in a while. The first time was fun. Maybe we'll see that girl wearing the bandana for a shirt?"

Felicity grinned excitedly. She did remember that. She also remembered the way Oliver pressed against her, his body against the balcony. Maybe they could do that again, "Exactly. So...?"

Oliver's bubble covered hands came out of the water and tucked her hair behind her ears. His thumbs ran over her cheeks, streaking them with more bubbles. "Fine. We can do that after dinner. After this I'll get Sara to come around with the car. Maybe even invite the others for…" he said before pausing. He didn't know how to name what they would be doing besides, "…people watching."

Felicity chuckled and curled in on her side, resting her head on his shoulder. She felt loose limbed and happy here in his arms. A year ago she had run from her home, panicked and scared for her life, and took a chance with the Bratva Captain. She didn't know what she was getting into with the cold and hard man that she had first met. She was glad she took the chance.

"I love you."

He pressed her close, fingers trailing over the skin of her hips. One year ago a lonely and conflicted man, despite appearances, had met a woman who had bowled over him with her brashness and fire. They had made a deal that he initially thought would solve all his problems with the Triad, with Anatoly. He was happy that it didn't go as planned. That he had fallen head over heels for her a step at a time.

"I love you too."

* * *

Apparently Felicity hadn't just been feeling sick that day on their 'first meeting' anniversary. Or the days after. Throwing up three mornings in a row made Oliver panic in confusion and John chuck a bag of pregnancy tests at him. Everything had stopped when he looked at that bag. And God, Oliver had always expected a freak out of his own when he found out that he was having a child. But none of that happened. He]d walked up to the kneeling at the toilet Felicity, and had started peeling boxes open with a smile.

All twelve tests confirmed it. With a scream of surprise Felicity had beamed at him and told him that she was pregnant.

They weren't even married yet, the engagement only coming into question on the anniversary of the day they confessed their love to each other. But they went with it. Holding off their wedding until Felicity gave birth. It had been a whirlwind of months as Felicity grew bigger and Oliver more protective than ever. Felicity had mourned not fitting into her clothes and loved the way Oliver's wide hand slid over her curved belly. Oliver took to it in stride; taking care of Felicity even when she wanted to wring his neck because her emotions were everywhere. He loved that he, someone that he believed was so broken, so lost, had found someone to share his life with and make a brand new one.

When they had Samuel it was love at first sight.

With ten toes and ten fingers, blue eyes, and Felicity's dark head of hair, Samuel Queen came screaming into this world. He was a quiet boy surprisingly enough. Always watching. Always observing. Felicity loved her dear boy. Loved the way he lit up her days and watched her with rapt attention when she read to him. But most importantly, he was a daddy's boy. He stuck to Oliver like glue, searching for cuddles and kisses that Oliver was oh so willing to give to his son. He didn't want his son to grow up like he did so he put his all into being a father. He gave himself completely to it. And after his birth and his subsequent marriage to Felicity, he gave himself to being a family man.

Five years later they were still going strong. Samuel was growing in leaps and bounds, still a shy little thing. And the only thing that Felicity and Oliver argued about/worried about is who was stealing the sheets at night and if private school was better than public school. Their life was peaceful and they loved it.

Today found them in Samuel's room. Felicity was putting away 'Sammy's' mega puzzle, that they'd just done in record time because he had taken after his mommy, and Oliver was sitting next to a drowsy Sammy reading to him The Little Prince. At 5 years old he didn't understand most of what Oliver was telling him but he was enraptured by the fact that Oliver Queen, the big bad ex-Bratva Captain...did voices while reading. Even Felicity liked his reading and never bothered him about it; afraid that she would break the spell he cast with his 'voices'. He even used the voices the first time he'd read it to Felicity all those years ago.

With a yawn that was contagious, Sammy made grabby hands at Felicity aka 'mommy' and pulled her growing belly in for a multitude of kisses.

"Goodnight Thea," he mumbled into her nightgown before he wrapped himself around his favourite turtle and bear, courtesy of Grandma Donna and Raisa, and fell asleep seconds later. Felicity hummed in approval. Oliver's voice had a strange power of putting Sammy to sleep every night.

Oliver tucked him in and placed the book at his bedside table as Felicity brushed his forehead with a kiss and Oliver followed with one of his own. He loved this part of their daily routine. They left the room after they set up the nightlight, Oliver's hand on the curve of Felicity's hip as they returned to their room.

"I'm sleepy," Felicity grumbled as she took off her robe and handed it to Oliver. He threw it over a chair and helped her onto the bed.

"Well you would be," Oliver said. He helped her settle down before bringing the blankets up and around her. He knew she was tired but he loved seeing her like this, her skin glowing and her belly round with their daughter. Their little Thea. "I've never seen you run around so much."

Felicity patted her blankets and fluffed her pillow. "It was my last day before maternity leave," she answered. Her feet, back and ankles hurt but she wasn't going to leave her department without making sure that everything was set. She wanted to make sure her people were ok, "I had to make sure everything was alright."

"Your team will be alright. Barry and Caitlin are more than capable of taking care of things until you return," Oliver reasoned. He chucked his robe and came around the bed. He stood by the nightstand and started setting the alarm for tomorrow.

"But what about the..." Felicity began with a small pout. Her phone was across the room and there was no way she was getting out of bed now to get it. And knowing Oliver and his need to make her relax and be safe, he wouldn't get it for her. She loved this man.

Oliver threw a grin at her and threw another name at her, "Cisco will take care of it. Isn't that why you hired them? Best in their line of work?"

"Yes I guess. I just don't like being out of work."

"Well good thing you have your tablet and your phone all the way over there."

Felicity narrowed her eyes a little at Oliver before frowning when she realized something else about her maternity leave, "Yeah good thing."

Oliver set his phone down when he heard the sadness in her tone, "Hey what's wrong?"

"Sammy starts school soon," Felicity admitted when he slipped into bed with her.

Oliver could read her face. He said, "It's ok to miss him you know."

Felicity picked at her special blanket. Raisa was absolutely talented and wanted to make sure Felicity was warm during cold nights despite Oliver being like a furnace. "I know we just recently decided to send him to school with Tommy and Laurel's kid because those two are attached to the hip, and they have the best security on the West Coast but I...he's my baby. What if he falls? Or if he needs a cuddle because someone's been mean to him?"

Oliver soothed her head with warm hands and a gentle kiss, "Felicity, he'll be alright. First off, Caleb is a firecracker and would never let anything happen to Sammy. He's fierce like his mother. And Sara and Roy will be around."

"Can't believe those two volunteered to be Sammy's security," Felicity said briefly as Oliver's hand helped her turn to her side. Both knew that it was more comfortable for her as her pregnancy pushed along.

"That's what family does. Protects each other."

When she was snuggled up and comfortable with a pillow between her legs she asked, "How do you always know to say the perfect thing?"

Oliver pressed himself against her back, legs tucking in behind hers. He threw an arm around her and kissed her ticklish neck without hesitation. Felicity shook with laughter and he said, "Years of experience."

"Figured out how to tame the pregnant woman?"

"No. Can't tame you," Oliver teased. He tucked the blanket around himself and stole a bit of her pillow. By morning Felicity would have all the blankets anyway. That little blanket thief.

Felicity laughed and tucked her hand into the one around her waist and under the blankets. Closing her eyes she yawned, "I'm happy."

Oliver shared her yawn and asked, "What?"

"I'm happy," she repeated.

"Where'd that come from?"

Felicity shrugged, "I just wanted you to know. Here with you. With Sammy. With Raisa. With Diggle and Lyla. With Sara and Nyssa. With Roy and Mia. With mom and Quentin. I'm happy with our family."

Oliver swallowed a lump of emotion. Moments like this still caught him by surprise years later. And with Felicity's pregnancy she had become especially loving and sentimental. He loved it.

"Even if it didn't start out the best?"

"Especially because it started out like that. I wouldn't change a thing that led us to here. This moment."

He didn't know how to tell her that he loved every bit of their lives, even the ugly bits. Didn't know how to tell her that every day he thanked who ever was out there looking out for him, for bringing Felicity into his life. And despite how bumpy their start was and how hard things unfolded...he wouldn't change a thing. It had led to this moment.

Where he was happy.

Where she was happy.

Oliver's eyes lingered on the framed sonogram picture of their little girl sitting on the nightstand. He kissed her neck and replied with the one saying that had stuck with them through thick and thin, "Not now."

Felicity turned her head to him and grinned at him, sleepy eyes shining with love and recognizing his words for what they were; a promise to never let each other go, to fight for this for the rest of their lives. She pecked his lips quickly, "Not ever."

* * *

**THE END**

* * *

**A/N: **_The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds *thank you The Notebook*_.

Thank you for reading! We are going to miss doing this with you every Wednesday. Leave a little bit of love and let's share in the pain, love, and angst of tonight's episode of Arrow. May it have glad tidings of Olicity. Bucket loads!

An additional note for what's coming next for us. I, TheAlternativeSource, will be working on more smut over on my tumblr: feelingallsensual. I'll also be working on finishing my fics and seeing what I can whip up to get us through hellatus (send me ideas!). Poisonangelmuse will be working on a mega paper for her masters so wish her luck!

We're super excited and would love for you to join us over on twitter for updates and to keep up with what's going on with us and with you!

**Thank you again and have a lovely day!**

**From your loving authors, **

**PoisonAngelMuse &amp; TheAlternativeSource**


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